Almost any time that we start to discuss leadership we hear about “risk.” Almost every well known speakers on the subject will tell you that great leaders must be willing to take “risk.” However, I say, that for a Christian the only risk we can take is to sin. Every risk that we take is in fact an act of sin. Now, before we all jump off the edge of our seats and lambaste Matt, let’s define “Risk.” According to: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/risk risk (r sk) (n. ) 1. The possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger. 2. A factor, thing, element, or course involving uncertain danger; a hazard: "the usual risks of the desert: rattlesnakes, the heat, and lack of water" Frank Clancy. 3. a. The danger or probability of loss to an insurer. b. The amount that an insurance company stands to lose. 4. a. The variability of returns from an investment. b. The chance of nonpayment of a debt. 5. One considered with respect to the possibility of loss: a poor risk. tr.v. risked, risk•ing, risks 1. To expose to a chance of loss or damage; hazard. In order to take a risk, there has to be a “chance” of failure. Are you going to sit and tell me that if God tells me to do something, and I do it, that there is a chance of failure? That is absurd! Of course you would not say that. I must not be understanding what you are saying about risk… please enlighten me again… Can you stand before God and say that everything you have is His? Does God not own all we have? I ask this because another aspect of risk is not only “failure,” but also “loss.” However, as Christians, we own nothing, therefore we can lose nothing. If there is no chance of loss, then there is no risk. Are you telling me that if we obey God, we might loose something? Ok… tell me what we may loose. Our secular status? Our personal free time? Our worldly possessions? Our pride? Our money? Our family? Well, my friends, if you believe that your secular status, free time, possessions, pride, money or family are yours then you need to revisit Scripture. In fact, if you have pride, you are risking your relationship with God. There in lies my point. The only thing that we, as Christians, can ever risk, is our relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can not risk anything else, for we have nothing else. The only way we can risk our relationship with Him, is to disobey Him. Now, let me first define a “Good Spiritual Leader.” 1) Someone who desires to do God’s will 2) Someone who seeks God’s will through prayer and fasting 3) Someone who acts upon the will of God 4) Someone who is obedient to God 5) Someone who leads others within the will of God Some examples of great leaders of the Bible. Did Noah risk anything in building the Arc? Of course not! God told him to do it. There was no chance of failure. There was no possibility of loss, as long as he obeyed God. Did Moses take any Risk? That would be another absurdity to even insinuate that Moses took any risk! Oh… wait… yes he did WHEN HE SINNED. He “struck” the rock when God told him to “speak.” He disobeyed God. For his disobedience, he suffered: Numbers 20:12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." He took no risk when dealing with Pharaoh. If you say it was a risk for him to throw his staff down when the others turned to snakes, then you are saying that there was a chance that God would fail, we all know this is not possible, so therefore he did not take a risk in throwing his staff down. In Esther 4 we read: 16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Was here life at risk? NO! Never! We can not risk that which we do not own… We can not risk that which we do not value… We can not risk that which we do not covet! Paul tells us: "I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). So could Paul risk his life? Nope! He gave it freely… He credited his life with no value whatsoever… How can you risk something of no value? The answer is simple.. you can’t. Luke 12: 4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. The only fear we should have is the fear of God. We can only be at risk with God when we sin. The only thing a “Christian” can risk is his relationship with God (period end of story). If we sin, then we are taking risks. If we disobey God, and go against Him, then we are taking a risk. If we walk in His perfect will, and do everything in prayer and fasting, and hear His voice and go forth, there is no risk. Do we take risks? Sure, each and everyone of us do, the Bible says so: Romans 3:23”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” My point is that I keep hearing people say that, “Great leadership requires taking risk.” I say that, “It is a sin to take risk. For when we follow Christ, there are no risks in life.” Okay.. I have rambled and done so in a somewhat disorgazined fashion, but if need be I will organize my thoughts. Oh… can anyone tell me what risk that Christ took? If so, what was His percentage of chance of failure?

Post edited by: MaddMatt, at: 2007/02/02 15:02