Putting Life's Risks into Perspective

Swoosh! A door flies open. You find yourself sitting with your legs hanging out of the door. But this is not a door to your home, your car, or a train. This door is on a jump plane! The jump plane holds three sky divers, a jump master, and a pilot. As the altitude increases, so, too, does the anxiety of those on board. The pilot cuts the engine. Your jump master orders you out of the plane. The rushing wind dries your lips. You lick them as you gingerly step onto the foot pad and out of the plane. Your hands grasp the wing strut. Then you slide them up and out, away from the plane and towards the wing. The deafening wind pulls your legs out from under you. You flap helplessly, a lonely flag in the midst of a whirlwind. You question your sanity. Then looking back at the plane through blurry vision you see your jumps master. His index finger stabbing towards the Earth, he mouths, "Go!" You ...

Would you step out of a plane, hang onto a strut, and then let go? Thousands of skydivers do it every year. Why do they take the risk? Because they have trained and have made a conscious commitment to the sport, with full knowledge of the risks involved.

Do you step out of your bed each morning, hang onto your faith, and let go let ... God? As soon as you step out of bed the risks are there ­ tension, conflict, weariness and suffering. Christian living is risky. How can you "jump" into life, trusting Him with all the uncertainties in your life?

Let's compare the steps involved in two "risky" activities ­ jumping out of airplanes and "jumping" into Christian living.

Grounded in Faith

First-time sky divers climb into the jump plane with a rig strapped on their backs and fear tucked into every cell of their body. Once safely on the ground, many first-timers kneel in prayer. They jumped! They made it through a risky situation. With your feet safely on the ground, think about the risky situations that exist in your life. List the situations that are difficult for you to place in God's care.

Sky divers trust that their parachutes will open fully into a canopy, preserving life and limb. But a canopy opening is tense. The harness jerks the sky diver upward. There are only seconds to pull the reserve chute if the canopy doesn't deploy correctly.

After the initial jolt during the canopy opening, the sky diver is filled with comfort and security. The remainder of the ride down provides a peaceful, gliding freedom perhaps known only by birds. Read Romans 8:28, 38-39, Romans 10:9-10 and Revelation 21:3-4. How are these words like a canopy over your risky situations?

The difference between a parachute and God is that He will never fail us in any circumstance. God is our "jump master." He is asking us to "jump" into life with faith.

From society's point of view, it seems riskier to trust God than to jump from a plane. Our society celebrates being "in control" ­ an impossible task. As Christians we know it is God's gift of saving faith in Jesus Christ which empowers us and leads us to faithfully serve Him. Read Matthew 25:14-30. Since God gives you all you need, what will you do with His gifts?

Trusting God with our lives means doing what we can to obey and honor Him with whatever gifts He has given us, in whatever situations He places us.

Skydiving and, indeed, Christian living can be risky, yet, thrilling activities. Read Titus 3:4-7. What can we trust God with that provides exhilaration beyond all our earthly expectations? (See also 2 Timothy 1:7)

Go!

Christians, whether sky divers or not, put the risks of life into perspective beneath the canopy of God's gracious gift of saving faith in Jesus Christ. God says, "Go ahead, jump!" You ...

• Pray for God's continued help and ask others to pray with and for you.
• Read God's Word daily.
• Worship regularly.
• Fellowship frequently with your Christian brothers and sister.