Be A Risk Taker
It has been said that life is a gamble. Perhaps this thought is best illustrated by the thought of how many times have you asked someone what are the odds of this or that happening. One of the first examples used in teaching statistics is what’s the probability of a coin tossed in the air coming up heads? This one is easy because there are only two likely outcomes: heads or tails. Regardless of how many times the coin is tossed, the odds always remain the same: 50/50! Life insurance premiums are based upon mortality tables; which (simplified) translates into the probability of a person dying at a certain age. Insurance companies—and casinos—cannot stay in business if they lose money. They only bet on something (incurring a risk) they know they can win at. When the odds are against them, they pass. This is why the cost of life insurance increases substantially as you grow older.
What about people who deliberately ignore the odds, putting themselves at risk for hurt or failure? Millionaire adventurer and founder of Marathon Securities Steve Fossett, in 2002, became the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon. He risked his life many times seeking to set records in high-tech balloons, gliders and jets. He was a self-made business tycoon who climbed Matterhorn in Switzerland and Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania; he swam the English Channel, completed the Boston Marathon, the Ironman Triathlon, the Iditarod dogsled race, and, as part of a team, the 24 Hours of Le Mans car race. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson said about Fossett, “Everything he’s done, he’s taken a calculated risk with.” Fossett had a childhood fascination with exploration and his fortune allowed him to pursue his dreams.”
He told The Washington Post in an interview that business is easier for him than sports. He said that. “Sports are often very humiliating, because there are so many better athletes in these events. I would like to be the best in everything, but that’s not possible. I risk humiliation because I have a genuine interest in participating.” Sadly, Fossett was last seen Sept. 3, 2007 after taking off in a single-engine plane from an airstrip near Yerington, Nev., heading toward Bishop, Calif. He was on a pleasure flight when he vanished: he was 63. In October 2008, air search teams found aircraft wreckage in the Sierra Nevada Mountains later identified as parts of Fossett’s airplane. They found human remains which were forensically identified as Fossett.
Two amazing aspects of Fossett’s life were: he was not afraid to take risks and to risk humiliation by failure. While many people admire him for what he accomplished, I wonder how many people told him it couldn’t be done or he shouldn’t attempt it? There are plenty of “arm chair” or “Monday morning quarterbacks” giving advice from the safety of their easy chairs. It is characteristically human to be a skeptic and or afraid when faced with “bad odds.” Yet we can accomplish very little in life without taking a risk. In the same way, “Walking by Faith” is all about taking risks. It demands believers to leave their comfort zones and risk failure and humiliation. The New Testament scriptures give us an excellent portrait of Peter. Peter was very impulsive and zealous in his faith. He was a persistent risk taker. He frequently spoke or acted before he thought—which produced some anxious situations. Consider the story of Peter on the Sea of Galilee.
Peter and the other disciples were in a boat far from shore in the midst of a storm. It was late in the night daybreak was approaching and looking out, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them. Upon hearing the reassuring words of the Lord not to be afraid, Peter said… Lord, if it be you, command me to come to You on the water… Jesus said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus (Mt 14:27-29). Obviously, Peter did not let the laws of physics cloud his mind—as he defied the laws of nature and walked on water. Was Peter being foolish? Was he showing off? I doubt it because Jesus said… My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me (John 10:27). There is something reassuring about the voice of the Lord in the midst of the storm.
It didn’t take long for Peter’s exuberation to give way to fear. As Peter was walking on the water he looked around and realized he was out of his comfort zone—the safety of the boat… when he felt the wind he grew frightened, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Master, save me” (Mt. 14:30). It wasn’t the waves of water that frightened Peter, but the wind! He felt the opposing wind. What wind of opposition has been blowing your way lately? What doubts has it caused to spring up in you? What overwhelming odds are you facing?
At first it seemed like a good idea to get out of the boat, but now things weren’t going well for Peter and he became afraid. He couldn’t turn back even if he wanted to because the safety of the boat was out of reach. The scriptures always urge the believer to forage ahead, never looking back. Looking back is a symptom of uncertainty and produces indecisiveness. Jesus warns us about this when he said… No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Lu 9:62). Looking back is a bad thing, especially if one is trying to move forward.
Peter’s only hope (and ours) is in Christ! How many times in the midst of the storm do we wonder—does God hear our cry? Does he know we are sinking fast—like Peter? Fortunately, the story has a happy ending. Instantly, Jesus stretched out His hand and caught hold of him, saying to him, “O little faith, why did you doubt?”
Notice Jesus’ gentle rebuke to Peter… why did you doubt?” Faith doesn’t operate in a vacuum. As our faith grows, so will our mountains! As we surmount one mountain, the Spirit says now try the next one. Jesus said… if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Mt 17:20). The only thing holding any Christian back is a lack of faith. The possibilities are as endless as your faith! The PostScript to the story is there were twelve disciples in the boat. Only one disciple got out and walked on water. Why didn’t the other eleven get out? Be a risk taker.