There was one morning time that I was preparing breakfast for my children. I prepared fried eggs for my daughter with white rice. While she was eating, I suggested having ketchup for additional flavor and taste. I commented that it looks boring and encouraged her to try it with her meal and she replied, “I do not like to take risks!” I was not surprised with her answer because she really does not want to but at that moment gave me an opportunity to teach her some important principles of life especially taking risks. Then both I and my son began to give her some examples of why it was important to take risks. Her brother asks while she was drinking her orange juice “How do you know that that juice is not poisoned?” She just listened while I added another illustration of taking risks like riding airplane. Altogether, I told her that taking risk even simply adding ketchup is part of our life.
Believe it or not, people were made to take risks. What sustains and motivates us in continuing to eat prepared foods without fear is the application of faith to the men and women who prepared them with the best possible care in regards to what they do whether at home or another place. That morning with my children was a memorable one for me because I provided them with a clear view of looking at life’s risks without fear. I added that life’s risk will be more exciting when mixed with faith solidly focused on God who takes care of all His people especially those who put their trust on Him. As Ambrose Redmoon said, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear." How very true!
No one should be afraid of taking risks. This is what many have done in the past. They took risks when others did not. Look at the marvelous inventions we enjoy today that provided us with many possibilities that made life easy for the majority of people if not all. One of my favorites is Thomas Edison who invented electric light and how he endured those electric shocks every time he tested them. When asked about the secret of his success, he told them, “99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.” It was truly a hard work yet he has a clear view of what he wanted to do and accomplished. If those inventors listened to themselves having a hard time and discouragement from other people, we might still be using candles to light our homes now?
The Apostle James provided a very clear perspective of our life found in James 4:14, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (NIV) Simply said, “Life is short” therefore, we must have a clear view of our life. The greatest example of it is Jesus Christ. Jesus came from heaven to earth to become like us. He lived only for 33 ½ years to complete his mission and destiny. He has a very clear picture of what he will accomplish. He began it when He was born and destined to die on the cross as the Scriptures have prophesied. Everything that He does in His life was to fulfill this purpose and we all know that he did! He completed God’s plan for humanity. But it was all due to a clear view of life.
As the New Year comes, what do you look forward to? How would you characterize the coming New Year? Would it be the same as last year? Well, it all boils down to your perspective. But the main concern is this: from what perspective will you look at it from? I believe that one thing this is clear to remember by heart as what the Apostle Paul declared in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (NIV)
To have a clear view of life is to look at someone higher than all of us combined. God holds the prize we are all longing to have in this life and the next life. I encourage you to anchor everything about your life in His Son Jesus and you will see clearer. If the Apostle Paul did, why can’t you?
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