When [Jesus] had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.” — Luke 5:4
When we play Monopoly at my house, everyone races to land on Boardwalk first. If you’ve played the game, you know Boardwalk is the most valuable property on the board. It can win you the game, but you have to take on some risk to buy it and build there. In Monopoly, you can’t earn big money without risking a lot. If you only put a little on the line, you won’t see much of a return. Sometimes you’ve got to go big to achieve your goals.
The same is true about us and the character we want to develop in our lives. Maybe we’re skimping on our relationships, playing it safe and staying on the sidelines. Maybe we’re coasting in a job because it pays the bills even though it bores us to tears. What if you were to flip it around? What would it look like to go all in with your life? Don’t put your toe in the water; grab your knees and do a cannonball. Push all the chips to the center of the table. I know you’ll be scared. Do it anyway. It’s where the good stuff happens.
Forget buying Boardwalk.
What would it look like to say yes to vulnerability in big ways?
Tell someone you trust what’s really going on inside of you, not what you wish were going on. If it’s fear you need to move past, blow past it like it’s not even there. Are you willing to risk failure, hoping you might be surprised by success? If it’s learning to love a group of people you don’t understand, what if you left the comfort of your easy relationships to build a couple of new ones with people you know might be a little more difficult but would stretch you?
There’s no shortcut to big change; it always comes with big risk. Are you willing to take yours today? Don’t make a list; make a call. You just might be surprised by the life you find on the other side of what’s holding you back.
What vulnerable step do you need to take next?
Excerpted with permission from Live in Grace, Walk in Love by Bob Goff, copyright Bob Goff.
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Your Turn
What area of vulnerability is calling your name? Do you hear the Holy Spirit stretching your faith in relationships that are outside your comfort zone? Is He boosting you to start a new business or ministry? Where are you being asked to leap? Come share with us on our blog! We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full