Take Righteous Risks

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). 

God spoke these words to Joshua immediately after the death of Moses, the most iconic leader the Israelites had ever known. Many, if not most, had never experienced life without Moses. Stuck in a forty-year rut of waiting, wandering and wondering if they would ever set foot in the “promised land,” they had to confront the rhythm of their lives and reality that all they had known was about to change. 

Have you ever been there? For Joshua, it had to be especially jolting. Because until that moment, he always had someone to fall back on. Like drafting behind a race car, Joshua had a leader in front of him who absorbed all the resistance of being first. But now that safety net was gone, and everything was on him. 

So, what was Joshua supposed to do? Well, God told him three times: Be strong and courageous. 

That’s it. There weren’t many other instructions at that point, except for this: Joshua will lead a fledgling nation across the Jordan River into an unknown land to face brutal enemies who are lean, mean and ready for a fight. Was he ready? No way. Was it time to move? Absolutely. 

So what was the plan? Be strong and courageous.  

The meaning of courage 

What is courage, anyway? Is it merely the absence of fear? Not really. We do things every day that we’re not afraid of, and we would hardly call those actions courageous. No, I would say that courage requires fear. In fact, courage is not the absence of fear but rather the acknowledgement of fear and the decision to move forward anyway. It is the recognition that even though your actions might come at a great cost, and you have no idea how it will turn out, you do it anyway.  

As a district superintendent, my prayer, more than anything else, is this: that the women and men in our EFCA churches would be strong, and they would be courageous! That you and I, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, raised to new life and sent out on a critical mission to make disciples out of anyone and everyone, would live in a default state of courageous action for the rest of our earthly lives. My prayer is that the men and women in our congregations would be known for taking righteous risks and living out great stories of raw dependency on the power of the Holy Spirit in real time, every single day! 

Okay, I realize I got a little fired up. And I can hear some of you saying, “Now, now, Tim, life is not one big adrenaline rush. Let’s not go overboard. Not every day is going to be filled with some great adventure. Courage is also about waiting on the Lord.”  

Fine. I get it. But let me also argue the other side of that equation that isn’t often mentioned: often what passes for “godliness,” at least in my experience, is just a cover for inaction, and quite frankly, fear. People say things like, “I don’t want to get ahead of God.” Or: “I’m just in a season of waiting on the Lord.” Or: “We want to wait until the time is right.” 

But, remember, God said He would be with Joshua wherever he goes, not wherever he stays. The assumption is action, movement and progress. In fact, it was into the chaos, and into the danger, where God called them. Yes, there was a period of waiting. But then it was time to go, and it was God who was complicating life and introducing all kinds of danger.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that you should rush headlong into major life decisions that have not been saturated with prayer and wise counsel from others. So don’t take this as a “sign” to do something impulsive. Not at all! In fact, a godly life often requires long seasons of patience, where we live with discipline and faithfulness even when it seems like we aren’t getting anywhere. But then at some point, it’s time to move. And it’s time to take risks. 

The cost of inaction 

It is my experience as a district superintendent that most churches don’t die because they risk too much for the sake of the gospel – they die because they don’t risk enough. They don’t decline because the leaders courageously changed the things in the church that were out of step with the mission. They decline because the leaders were unwilling to confront the reality that what they have been doing is no longer working.  

At the same time, I’m also struck by the fact that every existing church in our movement was born out of some type of risk! It may have been years ago, but someone stood up in front of a group of people and said, “This may sound like a crazy idea, but I believe God wants us to start a brand-new church right here, right now!” And I have no doubt there were a few naysayers who scoffed at the idea and thought, How in the world is that going to work? And yet, decades later, as far as most of the congregation has been concerned, the church has been around forever. 

It’s easy to think about the risks involved with courageous action. What is more sinister, however, is the cost of inaction. If you’re like me, you’ve got things staring you down right now that you’d rather not confront. But these “giants” are not going away, and they’re only going to get bigger if you ignore them. So go after them in the name of God! You don’t feel ready? Good. I’m sure Joshua didn’t either.   

Why was God so concerned that Joshua act courageously? He could have removed all of his fear so he wouldn’t have to worry about it. But I think that’s the point. Courageous actions force us to depend on the power of God. We have no choice but to trust Him when we step out into the unknown, which is what He wants us to do. So if you’re in that place, where the ground beneath your feet is crumbling, and you’re wondering how you’re going to make it, take courage! You’re in good company! Do not retreat. Instead, go forward! 

Accepting the call 

Finally, this is where it hits home with me: We have several major cities in the EFCA West district with only one or two EFCA churches. The only way for that to change is for God to inspire men and women who, for the sake of the gospel, accept the call to go into the wild and unpredictable world of church planting.   

They will likely need to move — leaving their jobs, their friends and other family members – to plant a seed in the ground that will result in a redemptive community, bringing the hope of Jesus to people who desperately need it. If that’s going to happen, they will need to be strong and courageous. And they will need to act.  

Is something stirring in your heart right now? Have you been sensing that it’s time to move? Have you been putting off a needed conversation, a new pursuit or even a necessary confrontation because you’ve been paralyzed by fear? Maybe it’s time to be strong, be courageous and go!