FCA ResourcesDevotional
Risk It or Play It Safe?
Ready
“No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or abandon you.”— Joshua 1:5
Set
Risk it or play it safe? For coaches and athletes, this is a question we will all likely face at some point in our sports careers. Whether it’s electing to go for two instead of kicking the extra point or adding a difficult new skill to your gymnastics routine, choosing to take the risk often leads to exhilarating success or heartbreaking defeat.
With much more at stake than the outcome of a sporting event, Moses was tempted to play it safe with God’s call on his life. In Exodus 3, Moses was tending to a flock of sheep when God appeared to him in a burning bush, directing Moses to go to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery and oppression. But Moses immediately doubted God, pointing out his own inadequacies and pleading with God to send someone else. But God remained firm, promising to be with Moses and help him speak. So, Moses took a risk and went to Egypt.
From there, Moses went on to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, part the Red Sea, bring the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai, and perform many signs and wonders as he led the Israelites through the desert to the edge of the Promised Land. Upon his death, the Bible states that, “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” (Deuteronomy 34:10).
All of this from a man who almost didn’t go. Are you willing to take the “risk” when God calls you to share the gospel with your team/teammates?
The good news is that God promises to be with us just as He was with Moses! We may feel inadequate or underqualified, but He will prepare us and provide for us as we follow Him. Have the courage to trust God and step out in faith, then watch as He does amazing things in and through your life
Go
- Has there ever been a time in your sporting career where you had to decide between playing it safe or taking a risk? What did you do?
- Is there an area in your life where you feel God may be calling you to step out in faith and take a risk (sports, school/job, personal life)?
- What scares you the most about taking this risk? What does it look like to trust that God will prepare you and provide for you as you step out in faith?
Workout
Overtime
“God, I want to follow you with my whole life. I know that this may require me to take a risk, and that there may be times that I feel scared or inadequate, but I also know that You promise to go with me and provide for me. Give me the courage to trust You completely and step out in faith when You call me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
Group