Risk-Taking As Spiritual Behavior

MONDAY, SEPT. 7, 1981, 6:41 AM
FARM, STUDY

With your class a definite reality in the church’s program you are now more interested in teachings that can be used as lessons… ones dealing more with principle and general behavior than with specifics of your own life. That is understandable, o son, but these are teachings for you, not Holy Scripture. Plainly put, all of these morning meditations will not be proper grist for the class. But, of course, some will, and this should be one.

A certain portion of spiritual behavior involves risk-taking, and, conversely, a certain amount of risk-taking behavior has a strong spiritual element. Risk-taking behavior is that in which one of the possible consequences is harm to self or others… even severe harm. Often the desired consequence can be so worthwhile that “the risk is worth taking”… the desirable goal should be sought.

Reaching out to others is often risky. Others may not respond… may even rebuff you. In instances where this happens, the rebuff is a spiritual experience, rather like a test of your spirit. Can it function well in failure as well as success? This is a fundamental reason you do not reach out more to those you do not know: you are not willing to risk being turned down. You miss opportunities by this behavior, opportunities Lenore achieves. I’m not suggesting that your behavior be changed radically, but only that you consider this consciously.

On the other hand, this that We do together is risky spiritual behavior, and you are quite willing to engage in it. The positive results have been more than satisfying to you, but the risk of rebuff is always a possible one, as well as the risk of a teaching critical of you… or one asking you to take on some onerous task. There is the risk of hearing Me clearly, and accurately recording what I say. There is the opposite risk, too, of not hearing well and recording falsely.

Specifically, risk is present when the teachings seem to veer away from certain Scriptures and the general Western interpretation of Scripture. The value is in having an interpretation from the reputable Source that I am… as against the risk that those who hear may be unwilling to accept what for them is new or untrue.