I’ve learned a few things over the course of eight months being on the World Race, but one thing in particular. It’s something I wish I would’ve learned earlier in life because for 23 years of my life I missed out on the fruits of this action.
It’s terrifying— actually it’s one of the hardest things I’ve done in life but it’s something that we all are called into. It’s the action of taking risks. Now when I say that, the first thing coming to mind might be jumping off a cliff, skydiving, swimming with sharks, eating a live scorpion, peeing in a squatty potty, or maybe even eating Indian food (unfortunately Indian food and squatty potties went hand in hand).
But that’s not the risk taking I’m afraid of. Sure, that takes guts, boldness, a little bit of crazy and a whole-lot of adrenaline but the risks I am referring to are even scarier. The risks that you might not be able to visibly see the results of. But these risks have a secret weapon. They contain a box inside with a gift. They have a promised reward. A reward to glorify Christ. One of the well-known risks in the bible is when Peter was asked to climb out of his fishing boat onto the water with Jesus. If that’s not a risk, then butter me up and call me a biscuit.
I am speculating here but I can imagine the potential idea of sinking and being soaked wasn’t on his to-do list for the day. He stepped out because Jesus said, “come”, and Peter took the risk without knowing the benefits. He couldn’t see the bottom or even the potential, but he followed Jesus’s voice. That’s all that mattered to Peter.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Africa, the Lord kindly told me I wasn’t allowing him to be BIG in my life. My first reaction was being offended but within a few seconds I felt as though I let the Lord down. As I was laying on the ground writing in my journal I thought about where I could make him bigger and what that even looked like. So I asked him, “how can I make you bigger in my life?”
Take bigger risks and allow me to catch you.
I felt pretty good about that answer because that didn’t seem extremely difficult for me. I love risk-taking. I love that adrenaline. I love the Lord and I love doing what he says.
What I didn’t know is that he would be asking me to do things out of his strength instead of my own. I never imagined Him wanting me to get up in front of church without any notes and share testimonies and stories about my life with no clear direction but just letting the Spirit lead me.
I shared very vulnerable parts of my testimony with people who didn’t even speak my same language, people who I had met 10 minutes before and some people I never laid eyes on in my life. Those are the risks the Lord has been calling me into. The risk or the fruit sometimes is not visible but the reward is promised. To glorify the Lord.
I’ve learned to step off the ledge knowing “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
I have the ability to walk in power, love and having a sound mind. I wish I could sit here in the modern little coffee shop while writing this blog and rank myself a 10/10 in that category but I can’t.
I can say I’ve been taking the authority that’s been given…Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
I take that authority. We have it as believers of Christ, yet how many of us are walking in it? It’s yours to take but it requires action. To take something is a verb—it requires action.
It’s there. Grab it. Walk in it. Breathe it in.
And believe God wants you to walk in a gift He’s given you. The free gift of authority and within that gift there’s peace, knowing you’re a walking vessel of God where no evil spirit has any power over you. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on the race it’s this…
If something provides a place of comfort AND it’s free…sprint after it and hold onto it tightly.
