I’ve recently finished reading a short book by John Piper called ‘Risk
is Right’. In it he argues that one of the fruits of biblical faith is a
willingness to take risks so that Jesus might be made known:
‘...it
is right to risk for the cause of Christ. At the end of every other road -
secure and risk free - we will put our face in our hands and say, ‘I’ve wasted
it!’ But at the end of the road of risk, taken in reliance on the blood-bought
promises of God, there will be fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.’ (p.50-51)
Maybe like me, you feel you have a lot to learn about taking ‘risks of
faith’. However as Piper shows, risky faith - whether it results in ‘success’
or not – always glorifies God, because it shows we trust him, have a big view of him and take his word
seriously.
For this reason I found it both challenging and liberating. Challenging, because we live in a risk-averse culture and so 'leaps of faith' don't come naturally to most of us; and liberating, because it reminded me that even when a risk 'fails', it also 'succeeds', because if done with the right motives, it gives glory to God.
If you want to read ‘Risk is Right’, it's available as a free pdf document.
See the link at the bottom of this letter for this or the links to kindle or paperback versions that you have to pay for.
Link to FREE copy of ‘Risk
is Right’ by John Piper:
