NO PAIN, NO GAIN
1
Peter 4:1-2 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his
body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered
in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his
earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.
Of
what avail is our life of prayer, our study of Scripture, theology and
spirituality, if we do not trust the insights that we have received? Waffling
back and forth between a decisive yes and a discouraging no keeps us in a state
of terminal procrastination. Likewise, an exclusive emphasis on the burning
theological issues of the day (many of which are neither burning nor
theological) or a one-sided emphasis on the pressing issues of social justice
can temporarily or even permanently postpone a decision to trust in the love of
God, thus keeping us in a state of spiritual limbo.
“To
live without risk is to risk not living”, my paternal grandma used to say. The
way of trust is risky business, no doubt about it. To change careers suddenly
because one feels unfulfilled, to assume the energy-depleting care of elderly
parents, to retreat for three days of silence and solitude with Jesus or to
volunteer for a summer in the sub-Sahara – all these challenges require a
willingness to risk a journey into the unknown and a readiness to trust God
even in the darkness.
A
person should not act impulsively, of course. A careful discernment process
involving family, friends and a spiritual mentor should precede every major
decision. But when the appropriate time comes, only the disciple with an
unflinching trust in God will dare to risk. And that trust is not naïve. It
knows that the possibility of making a mistake and getting hurt is very real.
But without exposure to potential failure, there is no risk.
Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin’s Path to God, by Brennan Manning, pg. 20-21