Whenever I listen to church planters tell how they got started... I find myself immediately calculating where I was and what I was doing at that time. I don't know why. Maybe to compare my level of faith at that particular time. Worst year was 1999 -- I became paralyzed with fear.
Took no risks that year. I was pinned to my office chair. The problem was... I had let people pin me there.
During the previous year, I was taking risks left and right. Doing controversial stuff. Mind-blowing stuff. But every time 
I took one of those risks... I got nailed with criticism. "That's too risky." "That'll turn people off." "Are you sure you want to do that?"
Pretty soon, price versus payoff became a factor. I discovered that life was so much easier when I maintained status quo. If I did nothing or tried nothing new - it was remarkable - I got no criticism! Wow! I was the most likeable guy in the world.
In some ways, it became the office chair or the electric chair. And so I got my very own coffee mug, started wearing argyle sweaters, and reading less dangerous books by Max Lucado. For that one year, that office chair was my security blanket. I kept that bad boy warm.
But then I started dying inside. Ministry was losing its appeal. 
It was becoming just a job. I was becoming a different person who didn't particularly like myself. There was nothing left for me to do but go by "Pastor B," grow a thick moustache, a pot belly, and wear tan corduroy pants with docksider shoes.
I opted for the electric chair. You feel more pain on the outside this way, but at least you can be at peace on the inside. I discovered there is never a right time for risk. No matter when you do it, somebody will always have a problem with it.
And it is the only way to live for something great.
What were some of the greatest risks that you have taken? and some of the stories behind them. Maybe you can post about it.
Posted by: Jeff Landon | November 19, 2007 at 09:13 AM