A few weeks ago, we took many middle school students to a ropes course for some team building and fellowship. One of the most entertaining parts of the day was an activity where teens had to climb a telephone pole and leap from the top to ring a bell about four feet away. Of course, each person was harnessed in and had a group of people properly guiding them to the top, but it was tough.
As the day zoomed by, not one single teen was successful. Some made it to the top but completely missed the bell; others had to turn around because their fear of heights got to them. But, there was one kid who you could tell was discerning the entire time whether to climb or not.
So, I stepped in and said to his peers, “If this kid makes it to the top of the pole and successfully reaches the bell, I’m buying you all milkshakes!”
The teens all erupted with joy, and the teenage boy, nervously but quickly, got into the harness, and before you could say go, he was already at the top of the pole. The crowd was chanting, and he looked determined as he got to his feet and jumped.
He missed the bell completely, and no one got a milkshake. I know I’m a jerk.
But, what I love about this situation is that this kid overcame his fear of heights and failure and took the risk. How many times have we been afraid to take that risk? How many times have we squashed an idea or given up on a project because we were afraid of failing?
One of the biggest mistakes I see leaders make is holding back on their big, scary, and audacious ideas because the fear of failure is too great. And the reason many of us have that fear is because we’ve never learned how to take CREATIVE AND CALCULATED RISKS.
I know risk sounds reckless, but the risk is only reckless when we move through it with intentionality and faith. To build a culture of creative and calculated risks, you need to:
Risk is scary if you like having control over all the outcomes. We have to remember that no matter how hard we plan, we will never have complete control. And if not having control scares you, it also means you have a trust issue. When you trust God fully, you know that He has your back.
To build up your trust in God, you need to build up your prayer life. So, how is your relationship with God? Because if you are not working at it, you will never be ready to take on the big mission that He has placed in your life.
One of the reasons the student in my story was able to rush up the pole and take the leap is because he had a vision in his mind. He was envisioning the sweet reward of a milkshake while being carried off into the sunset by his peers. When we have a vision and fall in love with nothing will get in the way of us moving towards it.
Do not be afraid of being idealistic or unrealistic because that’s a part of the risk. To fall in love with the vision, immerse yourself in prayer, and spend time getting to know the people in your mission field. Discover the big needs in your community and look at what is tugging at your heart. Let the passion fuel the vision, and if it feels a little overwhelming now, you are on the right path.
We hold ourselves back when we believe that something has to be perfect or not worth it. What we have to remember is that every move we make is a learning process. While you don’t want to run a program or hold a complete trash event, make sure you don’t get lost in the details or the hype that everything must happen perfectly. Instead, get to a point where you feel confident, launch the initiative, and note what works and what does not.
Another reason we do not like to fail is because of how it can make us feel alone. We take failure so personally because it identifies flaws that we’re afraid to expose. To avoid that feeling of isolation, we need to invite others into our ideas and projects. If we fail with others, it’ll still hurt, but it will be easier to manage. And if you are struggling to include others, it goes back to trust. Build trust, and you build confidence to take on anything.
Our ministries need to take more risks because what is at stake is too big to ignore. Business as usual is no longer working, and that is why it’s essential for us to not only think outside of the box but live outside of it too. Go slow and take a risk with consequences that do not keep you up at night to get started. Grow with each experience and be a student. But most importantly, put your faith in God and remember that there is no risk or feat too big for Him.