Taking A Risk

When I was a child we used to play a game called 'I Dare You.' It usually involved some kind of risk. To be honest, I wasn't much of a risk-taker.

The Bible is filled with accounts of people who took risks but my favorite was Peter walking on water. Stepping out of the boat was risky business. Peter had to leave the comfort and safety of the boat to go to Jesus. Jesus told him, "Don't be afraid." Do you think that's the last time in his life Peter will experience fear?

The unsettling truth is fear will never go away! Because id you want to grow spiritually, it will involve going into new territory and taking on new challenges. Fear and growth go together like macaroni and cheese. Your decision to grow is a choice between comfort and risk. Fear is the price of growth. 

Millions of people in churches today could be called "pew potatoes." They don't want to get out of their spiritual Lazy-boys. Yes, they want the comfort associated with spirituality but they don't want the risk and challenge with actually following Jesus. Peter when speaking to Jesus did not ask for a promise {Promise me I won't sink}but He asked for a command, "Lord, if it is you command me" Peter didn't ask for a guarantee, just an opportunity.

We mainly look at Peter as failing but we forget the other disciples still in the boat! The worst failure is to never get out of the boat. It was Peter's willingness to risk failure that helped him to grow.