Last week I did two scary things. I ran with some people in my local running club, and I ran the farthest I’ve ever run.

You have to understand that I’m no athlete. I may have done a few sprint triathlons, but all were accomplished by sheer force of grit, a lot of fear, and a nervous stomach. I’m mostly a wimp.

So for me to actually dare to run with other people when I feel so insecure took a bit of courage. And then to run seven miles when I’d never done that took even more.

I’m not writing this to toot my horn. I want to make a point. If we want to grow, we have to choose to do risky, scary things. The tendency of us as we age is to cocoon, to make things more and more safe, to eliminate risk. We settle into routine. We grow more and more selfish with our time. We prefer ordinary to risk.

I feared I was falling into that complacency trap, so I signed up to die (i.e. run a half marathon). It scares the bejeebers out of me. Not only am I growing (muscle!), but I’m stretching in my walk with Jesus. I have to trust Him more, rely on Him when I’m freaked out, and lean into Him when fear rises up within me.

If you want to grow in your relationship with Christ, take a risk. Do something that scares you. Listen to the still quiet voice of your savior, hear what He says, and then do it. You won’t regret the risk. In fact, afterward, you’ll feel a gigantic sense of joy and accomplishment.

Q4u:

What holds you back from taking a risk today? What scary thing is God asking you to try? How often do you let fear get in your way of truly trusting God?