Risk vs Reward

There is something so amazing about that moment you decide to take a risk…

It is a flash of excitement  that sends adrenaline surging through your veins! It is a momentary experience of passion being practiced, without certainty of it’s outcome. It is Willy Wonka trying out his own inventions.   It is Christopher Columbus setting sail on a flat sea towards the cliffs on the horizon.  It is every time we move out beyond our comfort zone into the glorious unknown!

There are really only two kinds of risk takers…Those who are willing to sacrifice themselves in the pursuit of a greater reward for the benefit of all…and those who in the pursuit of self-indulgence, lay the cost and consequence of their actions at the feet of those around them. I call this group the “Thrill Seekers”

Thrill seekers are not simple roller-coaster enthusiasts, or those who pay to ride the class five rapids of the mighty rivers. They cannot settle for adventure…they are ravenous for danger. This group puts other people at risk for the momentary pleasure of a dangerous ride.

Some rides are much more dangerous than others. Drugs, alcohol, promiscuous sex, as well as crimes of fraud and embezzlement have taken their toll on society. But even worse that the obvious outcome of lives affected by these tragedies, is the trust that has been obliterated in today’s relationships.

No one trusts anybody…fully. Oh we say we do, but we are conditioned, at least beneath the surface, to self-protect against those who might hurt us whether intentionally or not.  This is because the damage is already done. The news and the tabloids are clear: you are not safe…you are not loved…you are not valued. This is the world in which we live. A world of fear and uncertainty.

Even so…

We do not have to participate in this world’s economy…it’s philosophy, or it’s morality. While the world seems to have given in to sin and settled for the consequences, Christ has set us free! We can now choose differently. We can choose to trust! We can also take the risk of helping others. We can make a way for relationships to be restored…with God, and with one another.

These are the peacemakers, and mediators, and those who bring the ministry of reconciliation! they have a passion more rewarding than any base-jumper could perceive!

These are those who risk rejection, face their fears, and take a leap of faith….

Great is their reward