I’m starting a blog. I need to work on my writing, so whoever you are out there in social media land, thank you for being my guinea pig.
My goal is to make this blog more of a forum than a blog. I’m much more interested in hearing your thoughts than in broadcasting my own. Sometimes I’ll post an observation, something encouraging or thought-provoking. I may write about college planning (my day job, in case you didn’t know)or share about disability (a subject that’s near to my heart). Whatever the topic, at the end, I’ll pose a question (or a few), and I hope you’ll offer me your thoughts. Then, we can have a conversation, and that will make it all worthwhile.
You see, I’m not really looking forward to writing a blog. Even now, the voices in my head are screaming: Nobody cares what you have to say. You’re too busy to do this. What if people don’t like what you say? What if they disagree? You see, I don’t like taking risks, and when you blog, you risk both rejection and failure.
Every day, we take risks. The physical risks are obvious—driving a car, being in a public place. But to me, the emotional risks are most threatening. Every time I form a relationship, I risk rejection. Whenever I set a goal, I risk disappointment. With every decision, I risk regret. And with every action, I risk failure.
Ugh. Is it worth it?
Absolutely. Without risk, there is no reward.
Someone at a writer’s conference asked me recently why I don’t like to blog. I said, “I never know what people will think about my writing. I feel so vulnerable—like I’m hanging out there naked.”
She looked me straight in the eye and said, “Well, Jesus hung out there naked.”
Friends, the enemy wants us to be afraid. Afraid to risk. Afraid to love. Afraid to share the Gospel. The enemy knows the rewards, and he doesn’t want us to have them.
Jesus wants us to take risks. To be brave. To be vulnerable. To be like Jesus. And if you think about it, if you’re truly following God and seeking Him every step of the way, is it really a risk?
Okay, that’s enough from me. Are you ready to hang out naked? Here are a few questions. You can answer as many or as few as you want or you just comment. And…if you enjoy hanging out naked, sign up to receive my blog by email. My goal is to publish one blog every week.. (Okay, I said it. I’m risking failure, but at least I’m naked.) Share:
When was the last time you took a risk? What was the risk and what was the reward? Was it worth it?
What do you feel God is prompting you to risk right now?
What is the most difficult thing for you to risk? Why?
How do you respond when you risk something and you don’t see the reward?