When I was in church yesterday, I got prayed over and received an interesting word. I was told that this next season of my life will not be exactly what I want, but it will equip me for what God has for me in the future. It is something that I have heard before from people, but at the same time it is not exactly precise! Those that know me know that I have about four or five different plans organized so that something will work out. With loans to repay, I need to have a job lined up or find a way to stop the bleeding (monthly loan repayments). The pastor mentioned 1 Kings 7:3 and talked about the lepers at the gate... I could identify with their story and I think many others will as well.
In 1 Kings 7:3, there were four lepers at the gate. They knew that they could not stay at the gate or near the city since there was a famine in the city. Generally speaking, lepers were not allowed in due to their condition anyway. So being pinned between the dying city and camp of the enemy who was besieging them, the lepers had a hard choice to make... die at the gates or possibly live by being captured by the enemy. They chose to go to the unknown. In doing so, they found the camp abandoned with everything left behind. So they ate until they were full.
So where does that leave me (us) today? Are we willing to take the risk to succeed, or will we die knowing that we did not fail because we did not try? As I am sorting out my life and trying to figure out how I am going to get employed, that question remains. I could continue to stay at my church where I have been repeatedly told that I would not be employed, I could continue to not make enough money to make ends meet, and in the end chalk it up to bad luck. Or, I could try and step out and find a job else where knowing that it involves a huge amount of risk... and possibly moving to a new area.
This is why I am talking about how you are trying to play the game. For instance, in football, you can have a quarterback or a coach who plays not to lose. This means there is conservative play calling and often times they do not do anything noteworthy. They are trying not to lose. Meanwhile, if they play with more risks with the attempt to create a wider margin, they are playing to win.
I was always taught to not lose. In doing so, I was always cautious and scared of losing. I was never rewarded for trying to win, if I screwed up I was reprimanded for that one mistake. Ultimately, I never succeeded because I was so conscious of not losing. I now know that this is a mentality that needs to be broken. If you spend time fearing failure, you will never try to succeed because the fear of failing overshadows the excitement or the learning experience that goes with risking to be successful.
This leads me to my next point. I take risks when it makes sense and when I am familiar with what I am taking a risk for. The last few weeks, I have had a reoccurring theme of having to take a risk and go on faith. So either I can die standing at the gates, or I can die in the enemies camp, but their is a chance that I can survive. But I will never know unless I try. If you are like me today and are in the same position, my hope is that you will take the risk as well.
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