Back then in my secondary school days, there was this teacher who always say ‘life is a risk’, he would say ‘as you are seated in this classroom learning, do you know it is risky, the building could collapse, the chair you are seated on could break and you will fall’, curiously we will ask,  ‘what if we are not in the classroom, what if we are on the assembly ground, far from the edifice ?’, his reply would be ‘ there can be earthquake where you stand or a plane crash on the spot, a stray bullet from nowhere’.

You’ll say what manner of negative thought is that, but let’s be realistic, is life not a risk?  A pregnant woman carrying a baby is risking her life, its a 50/50 chance, she risks going to the labour room, we all came forth in a risky condition.

Where you are, think of the most likely risks that surround you, can you see that you are in a risky world?

But even at that, it has not stopped us from trying. 

Despite the risks, we still get pregnant, even when the Doctor says, after three cesarean sections , it is not advisable to get pregnant again, some courageous women still go ahead and get pregnant, daring the consequences. To some, it is faith, to another, it is foolishness and to some other, it is risking one’s life.

Now this is where I am going, to succeed in life, we have to take some risks, to be exceedingly great, we must be ready to take some exceedingly dangerous calculated risks. 

We have to develop the courage to take risks , in as much as we know that life itself is a risk, we have to get rid of that fear and take that risk that will change our life.

In Christiandom, a risk is simply a ‘step of faith’, launching into the unknown regardless of the outcome.
Trusting God for the unseen, believing his promises and taking the step even when the path seems dark.

The four leprous men in 2 Kings 7  took a great risk. They weighed all the available options and they decided on one even when it is likely they’ll die, they didn’t give up on the situation or their own circumstance.
They pursued the risk and at the end, God used them to bring to pass the words of Prophet Elisha.

Not only that, they became rich, after they had eaten to satisfaction, they took silver, gold and raiments.

Lepers, not complete men. Leprosy is a disease characterised by shortened or deformed fingers, yet this men were not limited, they could still pack silver and gold.

Friends, what is that dream you have been nursing for years, and the fear of taking that major risk has made you become a nurse for a long time, what vision has the Lord given you and you are still waiting for the perfect and convenient time to start,forgetting that the most convenient time to start is now.  

What is that simple but important risk you need to take and you have been allowing the circumstances around you to limit you, the fear of what will happen afterwards has made you to remain on that job for years even when you have your own ideas to become a boss of your own.

You need to overcome your fears and limitations today and take that risk that will change your destiny.
Stop procrastinating, stop waiting for when everything will be rosy, that time might never come until you create it yourself.

Fear brings setback in a man’s life, and it only stands for F-alse E-xpression A-ppearing R-eal. So you see why you need to feed your faith more than your fears.

When the devil comes with those negative thoughts like ‘what if you fail’, ‘what if you die’,  ‘what if you lose a lot of money in the process’.

Simply respond courageously with ‘what if I succeed as promised by God’ , ‘what if I didn’t die but live to declare the works of the Lord in the land of the living’ and ‘what if I gain a lot of money in the process’.

You have to learn to combat your fears with words of faith from the scriptures.

There is no great man that has never taken any risk before.

Jesus took the risk of coming to die for our sins, I’m sure the devil must have ministered to him at some point ‘you will die and not resurrect again and be doomed for life’, a reason why he became afraid at some point and wished the cup was passed over him.

But the Holy Spirit in him encouraged him immediately and he silenced his fear with faith.

If Jesus can, you too can.

And see, even if you fail after the risk, you have learnt and added to your bank of experience.
It is better to try and fail than not to try at all.
Failure is not in falling but in falling and not rising again. You will definitely rise again, stronger, better and wiser. And that makes you ahead of those who have never tried at all.

The failure of today is what makes up the success story of tomorrow.