Have you ever been in a “what do I have to lose” scenario? You know one of those moments where taking a risk is not all that risky because of the desperation of your situation — ever been in a spot like that?
I think about the night in August of 1994 when I asked Kimberly (now my wife) if she was interested in dating me. My desire to be “more than friends” was strong enough that the potential awkwardness of rejection was eclipsed, so I asked her out. (By the way . . . she said “no”. Seriously. Though, thankfully she reconsidered a couple of days later!) The night I drove over to her house to pick her up, I thought – “What do I have to lose?”
At times, though, we do take risks with things that we hold dear:
- Sometimes we leave the comfort of our hometown to attend school or take a job in another state.
- Other times we reach out and show love to a person who is rejected by our friends, and risk relational loss as a result.
- Also, financially at times we liquidate our savings to invest in a new venture we really believe in.
In each of these cases, we feel like we are taking a big risk . . . because we have something to lose!
Back when Jesus was walking on the earth, a person who had a lot to lose approached Jesus. This person was “rich,” “young,” and a “ruler.” Not only that, he had good morals, good manners, and was standing next to the most important Man who ever lived. This guy seemed to have it all! Or, at least He had it all to lose. And that dilemma caused him to break into a cold sweat when Jesus asked him to do something radical. What did Jesus ask him to do? Well, I’m not going to tell you. 🙂
You can read about it yourself (if you want) in Mark 10:17-31, then come to Wildwood this Sunday morning at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 as we will look in depth at what it means to experience “Generous Living” as we will be in part 1 of this short two week series. We may not always feel like it, but when compared to the rest of the world, we are rich people. Materially speaking, many times we feel as though we have something to lose. This feeling of risk prevents us from living generously with those around us. For the next couple of weeks, we will be reflecting on what a true connection with the Living God does for our attitude about the “things” in our lives. When we understand who He is and what He is offering, investing in His agenda does not feel so risky.
Looking forward to worshipping with you this weekend, and celebrating the Lord’s Supper together. See you Sunday!