Smart Risk Counts the Cost
We’ll now look at the third tenet of risk. You can find the first two here (Risk Is Normal & Necessary, Good Risk Pursues the Real).
Tenet 3: Smart Risk Counts the Cost; Foolish Risk Rushes In
We see two examples of this in a parable Jesus tells during the Sermon on the Mount:
Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’ Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce? Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple. (Luke 14:29-33 MSG)
This brief parable features two distinct protagonists, a builder and a king. Both face weighty choices. Much rides on their decisions. The clear implication is that they’d be fools to rush in before counting the costs. And in both, we’re offered a counterintuitive way to approach risk. Whether that risk involves following Jesus or weighing future decisions with him, it provides a long-term perspective that’s desperately needed in our microwave culture of immediate everything.
We see similar scenarios play out with politicians, actors, sports figures, and musicians practically every week. Someone says something that sounds rational. But then pushback comes, usually via social media. They don’t want the heat. They simply want to stay in good graces with the largest possible audience by avoiding further controversy. Risk turns into a numbers game where you change your story as many times as needed to gain the most likes or least pushback.
Yet Scripture says double-minded individuals are unstable in all their ways (see James 1:8). Far better to count the costs rather than rush in with words you’ll later be unwilling to defend. That’s why this tenet is so crucial. It sets the foundation for making wise risks today that you won’t regret tomorrow.
In closing, I’d like to take a risk and ask for your help in keeping these readings flowing and free for everyone. Will you consider making a financial donation today for this crowd-funded kingdom initiative HERE. For all who can, I’m grateful. It matters more than you imagine.
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