Risk

Many weeks ago I consented to play Risk with my brother and a friend. It took some convincing, as I have a hard time playing strategically. They were nice and didn't wipe me off the board first thing. They even let me take Australia (hehe). After the game one of them made an interesting comment, "You can often tell how a person will play if you know their personality." I thought it was a very good observation. For example, I am non-aggressive (unless provoked), easily intimidated, and avoid taking chances (small or great). So you can see why I can't play the game. This morning at our staff prayer meeting my friend's comment echoed in my mind. One of our leaders began talking about the resurrection of Jesus and how everything we do as Christians should be because of this. He went on to quote John Piper, " ..Radical, risk-taking, sacrificial love is not to be pitied...Do you see the effect of believing in the resurrection - really believing, not just saying you believe it? Without the resurrection we tend to want our pleasures here and now, and so we avoid risk and danger and difficulty and pain and discomfort and frustration; and so our love is tame and bland and weak and cautious and timid...But, Jesus says, if you believe that your joy in the resurrection will make up for a thousand losses and self-denials and sacrifices and dangers and risks here for the sake of love, then you will love people without a view to what you can get out of it here..." It caught my attention, needless to say, because I "play" life the same way I play Risk: avoiding every possible inconvenience, pain, and sacrifice. I've been encouraged time and again the past week to get my eyes off the horizonal day to day struggles, to "look up, because your redemption is drawing near", and to sacrifice everything for the sake of those who haven't heard about Jesus yet - to risk it all and trust God to take care of the rest.