Risk: part 1

Been reading through John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life". It's a bit of a gut wrenching trek into the depths of my own failures. So, if you're looking for that kind of soul-searing conviction, I recommend giving it a read. In all reality, it's pretty great. In particular, today I was reading about taking risks.

Piper gives some examples of the people of God who took risks for the glory of God. People like Esther, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and so on. People who stepped up and delivered faith when faced with uncertain outcomes. Piper makes an interesting statement about such acts, saying that in most examples of Godly risk-taking, that there is no special revelation given to the "hero", that the decision had to be based on "sanctified wisdom". This statement led me to this thought:

We, as Christians, are blessed with the endowment of the Holy Spirit. We have the counsel of God made evident through the witness of the Spirit, with the Law and Will of God etched on our regenerate heart. Thus, we do not face the risky decisions of this life unarmed. We are able to make calculated risks for the advancement of the Kingdom. We are not called to be the bringers of victory or the cause of defeat, we are called to be the obedient servants. We are co-laborers, adopted sons, and agents of an eternal kingdom.

As we face daily risks, so very minor in our own country, anything but minor for our brothers around the world, we have a trustworthy God who has given us exactly what we need to live a life of risk.