The dictionary definition of the verb To Risk is “to expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss”.
Most people consider taking risks as a negative thing. If one takes a risk; there is a greater chance that something negative will coincide. It could possibly be something that will hurt me or someone I love. BUT, what if taking risks were viewed as a positive thing and potentially beneficial?
At our last debrief, my World Race Mentor, Ashley Francis, defined “Risk” a lot differently:
“Risk means getting uncomfortable. Risk is doing something that forces you to fully depend on and trust God through it all. To risk is to be vulnerable. To take a leap of faith. To step into the unknown. To risk is to grow.”
This definition focuses on the action instead of the result. Instead of focusing on how I will be hurt from taking the risk, let me focus on how I can learn and grow from taking that risk. In reality, everything is a risk. We can take the risk and expect results or not take the risk and expect nothing.
1 Chronicles 28:20 says, “Be courageous and do it. Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God is with you.” If we stay in our comfort zones and don’t take risks, our situation never changes.
This month has been a hard month for me. My team’s ministry this month has been teaching in two different Christian, private schools – ISM and JESSS. They are very different from each other in class size, structure, and discipline. At ISM, we were each paired up with an English teacher and served as a teacher’s aid. Whereas at JESSS, everyday was a surprise.
Needless to say, my calling is not teaching. At ISM, the English teacher I was paired with didn’t use me in his class. I waited for instructions from him on how I could help, and they never came. I asked him how I could be of assistance, and he didn’t give me an answer. So I silently sat in the back and listened while he taught. I answered questions when the students asked me, but they soon stopped asking me because more often than not, I gave them the wrong answer. This only solidified my feelings of failure in English class even more than I had experienced all throughout my time in school. I became overwhelmed with feelings of frustration and uselessness, and quickly withdrew into myself. Why was I here? I’m not of any use to these students. Isn’t there something more I could be doing? Why has God given us this ministry this month?
It wasn’t until I started to read the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis when I realized where the thoughts of frustration and uselessness were coming from. They weren’t from God. Satan and his demons work in many different ways. When people think of Satan, they usually think of evil. While this is true, Satan likes to work in miniscule ways. He likes to distract us, make us dream of the future instead of being present, and brings up past thoughts/events to remind us of how insignificant we are. He likes to eat away at us until we become depressed, anxious, and fearful. Satan knows I don’t like to teach and took advantage of my degrading thoughts from the past.
To get out of this hold, I had to start taking risks. I was comfortable sitting in the back of the classroom observing. When we become comfortable, Satan attacks. To turn this around, I became uncomfortable and vulnerable and started talking to the students instead of waiting for them to talk to me. I began asking them if they needed help with their classwork. Even though I didn’t have all the right answers, it showed them that I cared. Maybe they didn’t need help with their English, but only needed a friend.
By taking risks, my team and I found out that most of the English teachers we were working with weren’t Christians. We had to step into the unknown and learn about their beliefs. Then we became vulnerable and shared our testimony of how God has worked in our lives. Through this, their hearts became hungry for the Lord. They started asking questions every day, diving into the Bible for answers, and allowing us to pray for them. I soon realized that my team’s ministry this month wasn’t to the students at ISM, but to the teachers. To the teacher who was hungry for information, but didn’t know where to turn for answers. To the teacher who grew up as a Christian, but has since turned away because of hypocrisy and hate that he has experienced in the church. To the teachers from Iran who believe in prayer and faith, but not in God.
You never know what or who your ministry is. You don’t know the lives you may touch by simply talking to someone. So be uncomfortable, be vulnerable, depend and trust on God, and take that leap of faith. Only by taking a risk will you grow.
