Defiance demands that we learn to deal with risk. Christ never promised an easy life, with great short-term benefits to his disciples. Instead, He often warned them of the high cost of suffering affirming a life of faith.
Peter was defiant of the natural laws of gravity when he chose to walk on the water to Jesus. He was a man of risk, doing what no one dared to ever do. He did not ask Jesus for any guarantees of safety. Instead he took a risk in simple faith.
He displayed
courage as he stepped out in faith.
If Peter stayed in his comfort zone, he would not have experience the awesome power of God. Pursuing our dreams means that we will have to walk on the water, and this demands that we get out of our comfortable boats. Fighting our fears Risk-taking means that we recognise and deal with our fears. A great way to identify our fears is to take risks. I have watched a popular TV programme called ‘Fear Factor’. In this programme, real life people come face to face with their ultimate fears and conquer them by taking a risk. I have seen people afraid of heights, doing bungee jumping, others afraid to ski again because of avalanches tackling those same treacherous conditions again. They come out of the new experience different people, because of their willingness to take a risk in those areas of their lives that cause them to freeze and stumble.
Our fears are real, and Christ recognised this. That is why He often comforts with teachings of hope and encourages trusting in His unfailing love. Our fears can be an opportunity for God to work in our lives or they can become our bondage. As we take risks, we come to God and acknowledge our fears. We must then allow Him to take our fears and help us through the situations we face. God will give us His courage and His hope, but only when we surrender our fears to Him.
I remember a time of deep and intense loneliness when I just got to university. Being rather reserved, I found it difficult making new friends in a very strange environment given my fairly protected lifestyle up till then. But it was more than making new friends, there was a deeper fear within me that I had to deal with; the fear of rejection. We all
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