Spiritual Risk-Taking

July 3, 1979, 12:02 PM

I have showed thee, o son, what is good… now I shall talk about the theme you present – spiritual risk-taking.  It is right that you realize that the realm of the spirit involves some real risks.  It has ever been so.

Adam and Eve risked.  They lost and they gained.  Noah risked.  Abraham risked… the life of his only son against what he heard Me telling him.  Could he be sure?  Was My message real?  Moses risked.  And saints all through the ages who have heard My voice have been called on to risk something – friends, reputation, even life itself.

You remember the phrase, “out of the mud grows the lotus”.  Know also that out of the risks that I encourage comes true growth, happiness, strength, and, yes, adaptability (a good word, but one I haven’t used much).  Risks are part of the rhythm of life.  And an important portion of that rhythm is the spiritual part of life.

The principle is the same in all realms:  if you do this, will this happen or will that?  If you want the one but not the other the situation becomes one of risk.  How much do you want this?  How dangerous or undesirable would that be?

You, o son, feel the risk each day as you step forth into this venture.  Am I really speaking?  Are the words truly Mine?  Do I use words and expressions that are not in the Bible?  How shall people react when you tell them of this daily walk?  Should you follow directly what I tell you to do?  What happens if you do… if you don’t?

As I have told you before, doing justice is risky.  But also it involves risk to love and practice mercy.  And walking humbly has some true risks to it.  There is some risk in the creation of each individual person.  How will he use what I have given him?  How will she develop what is her very nature?

Love is an emotion, but a love relationship is a spiritual relationship.  It is risky to enter into such a state of being, even with a child.  Yet it is My wish that you risk such “entering in’s”, for you will grow and gain, and so will others from the romp with your spirit.  This, too, is an important rhythm – the being in relationships of spirit with others, which brings both growth and nurturing.  You do for others and they do for you… and also I do for you.  Yes, out of spiritual relationships with others, genuine ones, and ones in which I am involved (by invitation or by My own initiative) come more good than that which each puts in.  I am the original synergist.  You may proclaim this, as you wish.

Yes, truly, spiritual relationships are risky ones.  As a friendship grows, there is more and more to lose… as well as to gain. This is as it should be.  This is according to My will.

Yet there is another side of it.  As I have told you I draw you to relationships with Me in order that you might have more strength, not less.  Your dependence on Me should be a fount of strength, and though you risk My leaving you and withdrawing My support, you must also know that this leaves you as strong as I helped you become.  You need not lose that which you have become.

This is true in other relationships as well.  Nancy is stronger for having known you, and you are stronger for having known her.  Though there is a loss at parting, the growth can be applied to new or continuing relationships.

You see what is coming, don’t you?  It is in risking that you grow stronger… and better able to succeed in new risk-taking events.  You could then be less prone to risks, for as the negative consequence is reduced, so is the risk.  But the strong one takes more risks, in order to be a more fully functioning person.

This should be one of your first messages.  Work on ways to make it heard and felt by all.

I, the Lord, the Spirit shall be with you again.

Amen

1:02 PM