a risky obedience

It's no secret that my first week back at work has been a stuggle. Not just for me emotionally and physically, but spiritually. I have been praying for direction about what to do, wondering if I am supposed to trust God like I've never trusted Him before and quit my job? Or live the old addage "no one said life was fair", and by doing so, suck it up and literally pay for decisions that we've made in the past three years.

Either option introduces change, which is always tough for me to handle. We either take steps backwards to downsize our lifestyle and live paycheck to paycheck (or less than that!) on one income, or maintain our frugal attitudes and let someone else enjoy the day-to-day responsibilities of raising our sweet Morgan.

These choices also mean exercising faith. And I received an email today that spoke volumes. The timing couldn't be more perfect. Here's an excerpt from the "Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional". This one is written by Jon Walker:



June 28, 2007

“… Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of ….”
(Luke 19:26 MSG)

In order to obey God, you need to take risks. Risk is the substance of faith because it requires you to take Step 1 before you see Step 2. Risk compels you to action, even when there seems to be no guarantee of what will be on the other side of your choice.

But it’s those risks, large and small, that God uses to stretch you from living by sight into living by faith. By taking the risk of following God, you move from a life of independence and self-direction into a life of godly dependence and Holy Spirit direction.

The irony, as we struggle with the risks associated with faith, is that we take a greater risk by remaining independent of God than we do when we take a step of faith that seems to be risky.

If we believe what we say we believe, then, regardless of what we see on the other side of our risk, the reality is God is there. What seems to be a no-guarantee situation actually comes with the greatest guarantee of all – a God-guarantee – that he is on the other side of our choices, working all things out for the good (Romans 8:28), with plans to help us and not to hurt us (Jeremiah 29:11).

· Safe outside the boat –I have a drawing of Jesus walking on the water during a storm; the disciples are cowered in a fishing boat. I look at it and ask “Where is the safest place to be?” The obvious answer seems to be “the boat.” But the truth is, the safest place in that storm is standing next to Jesus. We only think the boat is safer.

· Safest steps – Work toward seeing faith steps as the safest steps you can take. What seems like a risk is actually a step supported by the one, true all-powerful, all-knowing, awesome God, who is wiser than the best of man’s wisdom and stronger than the best of man's strength.

· Live faithfully – As Rick Warren says in “The Purpose Driven Life,” if what you are doing doesn’t require faith, then you are living faithlessly. Ask God to reveal where you are living without faith.