No Risk, No Reward
By Pastor Jeffrey Smith
We’ve been studying how to go from the life we’re living to releasing the unlived life within us. We face resistance when we’re trying to live the unlived life within us. Resistance is a bitter enemy that pushes against us that keeps up from reaching our destiny. We must close the gap between our lives and the unlived lives within us. Most of the resistance that we face comes from within us. It’s not some external pressure inhibiting us. We are not victims that are powerless to live our lives. Instead, our own stubbornness is what often drives us to camp out in a life of compromise.
Matthew 25 tell the story of a master that has three employees and gives them each an allotment of money. The first employee takes the highest risk and audaciously brings the biggest return to his master. The second employee also steps out in faith and also brings a return to his master. The final employee is too afraid to face the risk and refuses to work with the master’s money. His fear of failure and disappointment inhibited him from seeing any success or result in his life. The master chastised this employee for having no faith or courage to step out at all. The no-risk life is an indication that we have no faith. Fear, unbelief, and hardness of heart keep us from living a life of audacious faith.
The internal resistance we face is often self-sabotage. So often, we create crisis for ourselves as a means of widening the gap between our lives and the unlived life within us. We refuse to try anything risky because we fear failure. Instead we resort to the same excuses that have imprisoned us for year. Sometimes the sickness, crisis, or difficulty isn’t even the problem. The problem is that those things have become the excuse for not stepping out.
It’s time for us to be free of these excuses. It’s time for us to step out of the no-risk life and into audacious faith.You have absolutely no idea how much God can do in and through you when you’re ready to trust him in this way. It may not be easy, but it will most certainly be worth it.
