Is It Worth the Risk?

I am not a risk taker. Though I have learned to enjoy adventure and spontaneity, I still need a little time to process and warm up to a new idea. So, when my husband asked what I thought about purchasing a car from a different state, sight-unseen, needless to say, I took a moment.

Please understand that my husband does not make rash spending decisions. Though online purchases have become very common in our world – even on large-ticket items like homes and cars – we are of a generation that will leave no stone unturned in searching out the authenticity and integrity of the deal until we have removed all reasonable danger. My husband spent months in research and investigation, phone calls and Internet searches, before landing on what looked to be a really spectacular opportunity. That being said, sending a large sum of money and purchasing one-way flights to a destination several states away still held some very real risks.

The Christmas season is upon us. It’s a time of generosity and good will—gift giving, parties, and family traditions. As someone who honors the season as a celebration of God becoming human for the purpose of clarifying his reckless love and unmatched grace, I realize the trust I place in that story incurs some risk.

Faith is a risk. If I’m honest, I have to admit that there is no actual “proof” for my belief in God. There are things I may see, feel, or experience that lead me to faith, but there is no mathematical formula or scientific evidence I can offer as absolute verification for my belief.

I can research, study, investigate, and come to a place where I believe the story of Christmas and the life of Christ is authentic and essential. However, at the end of the day, placing all of my trust in that story requires risk. If that were not the case, would my conviction even require faith?

Rachel Held Evans once said "I am a Christian because the story of Jesus is still the story I'm willing to risk being wrong about."

The story of Jesus . . .

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

We flew to Pennsylvania to pick up the car and enjoyed a last-minute road trip home. It was an amazing deal on a fabulous car. As an unexpected bonus, we Floridians enjoyed some fall colors and temperatures. In every way, it was the worth the trip and worth the risk.

Others might, and do, choose to put their trust in something other than Jesus. Like RHE, I am willing to risk everything on a Baby in a manger. From my perspective, however, it was God who actually took the greatest risk.

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

Happy Holidays to all!