“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”
This quote is from my favorite philosopher, Blaise Pascal.
Not only was Mr. Pascal a philosopher, he was a mathematician. He saw his faith as not only something that connected with him on a personal level, but also on a logical level. This "logical" explanation is summed up in the above quote, also known as "Pascal's Wager."
It's very logical. If we could boil down faith to a bet, then belief has the most benefit. If we believe and ultimately there is nothing to believe in, then we've lost nothing. If we don't believe, and we end up facing God, then we've lost it all.
Pascal (and I agree) believed that the benefits of living a life focused on Christ, regardless of His existence, greatly outweighed the consequences of not living such a life.
The logic is pretty indisputable.
So why is it so hard to win people over to Christ?
Honestly, I think that many of us aren't willing to take the risk to reach out. Fear, anxiety, acceptance...all these things contribute to us not sharing this logic with friends, family, and acquaintances. Ministry is a gamble and the stakes are pretty high.
As I look forward to this coming year, I see all the risks involved. But also with those risks are opportunities. Sure there is anxiety and nervousness, but pushing past that I'm filled with anticipation as to what God will do.
It is that thought that has always motivated me in youth ministry. Working with teenagers is risky business. It's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to begin thinking, "is this really worth it?"
The wager still makes sense though. It IS worth it, every day. In the past nine years God has shown me that on more than one occasion. And as Kelly and I look to this coming year and look at stepping down as Youth Directors, I know we can both look back and say that with much conviction.
How about you? Are you willing to roll the dice this coming year? Are you willing to go all in with your faith and allowing it to take you places you've never thought possible? As 2011 begins, I hope and pray that you are willing to take some risks. There are plenty of opportunities, and I'm not only talking about serving the students involved in our programs.
I challenge you to find that one place where you can put some risk into your life concerning your faith. It's a pretty sure bet that you'll be better for it.
