Taking Risks Isn’t Just for the Persecuted

There they stood, on the brink of the promised land. God had promised his people that he was going to lead them out of slavery and bring them to a fruitful, abundant, prosperous place. And God had done exactly what he said he would do. 

Spies were dispatched to check out the land, and the report with which they returned was clear: “This land is glorious!”

But the majority of the spies said, “It’s not safe. It’s not secure. We can’t take the risk—for our own sake, and for the sake of our children. So we won’t take the land” (see Numbers 13:25–33).

Why did they decide the risk wasn’t worth it?

On one hand, they disregarded God’s goodness.  “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!” they cried. In an instant, they had forgotten the God who fed them with bread from heaven and gave them water from rocks, daily and faithfully providing for their every need.

On the other hand, they doubted God’s greatness.“Giants live in this land, and they’ll destroy us!” they lamented. It was like they hadn’t even seen God split a sea in half to deliver them or come down in a consuming fire on a mountain to visit them. So they disobeyed God’s Word and disqualified themselves from God’s blessing. 

Their lives wasted away in a wilderness as a testimony to everyone in redemptive history after them: the blessing of God is reserved for those who take risks for the glory of God.

In light of their testimony, I simply want to ask you today: What risks are you taking based on God’s Word for the sake of God’s glory?

RISK IS ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE

For followers of Jesus, risk is essential for life. Jesus says in Matthew 10:39, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In other words, if you try to hold onto your life without risk in this world, you’ll lose it. But if you risk your life for Jesus’ sake, you’ll find it.

One of my favorite quotes comes from a persecuted pastor named Josef.  As Josef was being interrogated, he told an officer who was threatening to kill him: “Sir, let me explain how I see this issue. Your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying.” 

He continued: “Here is how it works. You know that my sermons have spread all over the country. If you kill me, those sermons will be sprinkled with my blood. Everyone will know I died for my preaching. And everyone who hears one of my sermons will say, ‘I’d better listen again to what this man preached, because he really meant it; he sealed it with his life.’ So, sir, my sermons will speak ten times louder than before. I will actually rejoice in this supreme victory if you kill me.” 

After Josef said this, the interrogator sent him home. And days later, another officer who was interrogating another pastor said, “We know Josef would love to be a martyr, but we are not that foolish to fulfill his wish.”

Josef then wrote, “I stopped to consider the meaning of that statement. I remembered how for many years, I had been afraid of dying. I had kept a low profile. Because I wanted badly to live, I had wasted my life in inactivity. But now that I had placed my life on the altar and decided I was ready to die for the gospel, they were telling me they would not kill me! I could go wherever I wanted in the country and preach whatever I wanted, knowing I was safe. As long as I tried to save my life, I was losing it. Now that I was willing to lose it, I found it.”

EVERY RISK FOR CHRIST’S SAKE IS WORTH IT

This is the story of every Christian, not just persecuted pastors in difficult countries. We’re all called to take risks for Jesus’ sake, whether it’s with our reputation or our money, our dreams or our very ways of life. We can’t follow Jesus truly while playing it safe in this world. 

So what we should ask ourselves is: Will we believe in the goodness of God? Will we trust the greatness of God? Will we obey the Word of God? Will we experience the blessing of God that he promises to all who take risks for his sake in the world?

I want to encourage you to consider practically: what is one risk Jesus is leading you to take today in order to share the gospel—or to give for the spread of the gospel, or to live for the glory of God—in a way that might cost you greatly, but will ultimately be worth it?

This article first appeared in The Commission, Radical’s biweekly newsletter featuring global gospel stories and encouragement from David Platt and others to help you follow Jesus and make him known. Subscribe today.