High risk, high reward. When it works, great, we're heroes. But odds are we will lose more than we win and we may be left with nothing. Risk little, little return. We may come out a little ahead, but we never win big. And for all our efforts to avoid risk, nothing is certain. C.S. Lewis once wrote "There is no safe investment". There is always some element of risk. And much of life is minimizing our exposure. RRSPs, pensions, insurance...'stable jobs' we like (or don't), maybe loathe, but we do to pay the bills. Think of the opportunities missed in stability's name when what was the real risk anyway?
C.S. Lewis also wrote "Only a real risk tests the reality of a belief". So much of what guides us through life are not the 'real risks' that Lewis is referring to. We may perceive them as real, but are they really? We catastrophize out of a peverse and misguided fear. Catastrophizing is to hyper-imagine negative outcomes that have no real basis in reality. Not to say, you shouldn't invest in RRSPs or insurance...themselves nothing wrong. We should work. And yes, I have a job, pension and insurance. I'm not talking about being flaky or irresponsible. God does want us to be good stewards and work hard. But if fear of the thing is driving a stake into the heart of what we do (or don't do), that's not healthy. If fear is keeping us from who we are (our true identity) or what we should be doing (our sacred calling), that's not good either. It's not what God wants. God revering yes. But fearful, no.
What then do the risks I take (or avoid) say about what I believe? Well, if I'm only seeking to minimize exposure and avoid the catastrophic, I have to question the reality of my belief and in whose hands I'm placing my trust. Behaviours should align with beliefs. I could be a little more courageous for my convictions, but I also understand that it will come with sacrifice. Sacrifice is hard because we are hard-wired to fight against it. It doesn't always feel safe or comfortable or secure. I'm a little selfish. I don't want to give of myself, at least not all or too often. And yet, that is exactly what I'm called to do. I know in my heart that it will indeed be far safer and more secure than it ever was because of whose Hands I'm putting it into. Seems there is in fact one safe investment.
But it takes faith. Hebrews 11 talks about faith as "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." Faith demands risk because its of things hoped for and not seen. Our culture generally sees that as worse odds than winning the lottery. It's not always accepted, it's often dismissed, it's sometimes resented. But faith is by definition the 'substance' and the 'evidence'. Though many may perceive the nature of our belief as uncertain because its not easily 'seen', faith is the very proof, the very certainty, we always sought. So maybe it's the world that's catastrophizing, hyper-imagining outcomes that have no basis in reality...just sayin'.
"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak." Lewis reminds us to remember the rewards. Not dismiss the risk or costs, but weigh them against the reward or return. Which is really just a good investment decision. Investors, here's the Kingdom Return-on-Investment (K-ROI). High risk, high reward with no risk at all. We have everything to lose, even more to gain. Infinite dividends. The investment is everything we have, but insignificant against the 'staggering nature of the 'promised' rewards. That's real risk worth making. I'm gonna press my luck!
What then do the risks I take (or avoid) say about what I believe? Well, if I'm only seeking to minimize exposure and avoid the catastrophic, I have to question the reality of my belief and in whose hands I'm placing my trust. Behaviours should align with beliefs. I could be a little more courageous for my convictions, but I also understand that it will come with sacrifice. Sacrifice is hard because we are hard-wired to fight against it. It doesn't always feel safe or comfortable or secure. I'm a little selfish. I don't want to give of myself, at least not all or too often. And yet, that is exactly what I'm called to do. I know in my heart that it will indeed be far safer and more secure than it ever was because of whose Hands I'm putting it into. Seems there is in fact one safe investment.
But it takes faith. Hebrews 11 talks about faith as "the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen." Faith demands risk because its of things hoped for and not seen. Our culture generally sees that as worse odds than winning the lottery. It's not always accepted, it's often dismissed, it's sometimes resented. But faith is by definition the 'substance' and the 'evidence'. Though many may perceive the nature of our belief as uncertain because its not easily 'seen', faith is the very proof, the very certainty, we always sought. So maybe it's the world that's catastrophizing, hyper-imagining outcomes that have no basis in reality...just sayin'.
"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desire not too strong, but too weak." Lewis reminds us to remember the rewards. Not dismiss the risk or costs, but weigh them against the reward or return. Which is really just a good investment decision. Investors, here's the Kingdom Return-on-Investment (K-ROI). High risk, high reward with no risk at all. We have everything to lose, even more to gain. Infinite dividends. The investment is everything we have, but insignificant against the 'staggering nature of the 'promised' rewards. That's real risk worth making. I'm gonna press my luck!
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