Session 1

A risk worth taking

From Fearless Dating: A 6-Day Devotional

Love is a risk.  It requires us to be vulnerable, to be patient and to trust. To love fearlessly, to love each other regardless of the risk of rejection and heartache, takes courage. But the only way to really experience love in life is to be brave and let people in.

When you choose to love someone, you open your arms to them. When you stand with arms wide open, you’re exposed and vulnerable for attack. But with the opportunity to trust comes the ability to experience something greater than all of our “what-ifs.”

In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul writes a prayer for the church in Ephesus, asking that they be rooted and established in the love of Jesus. Paul explains that the more we trust God and let Him in, the better we understand how deep His love is for us. His unending grace teaches us to love like Jesus, to give grace to those we consider hard to love and to fearlessly take more risks.

It’s a scary thought to trust God with our hearts. Being vulnerable with God and trusting His plans over ours takes a leap of faith. It feels like a risk, but because God is perfect and loves perfectly, it’s no comparison to any other relationship we can have. God always comes through on His promises. His plans were made out of a deep, powerful, overwhelming love for us, and His plans are always much more than we could imagine.

Loving fearlessly is bold, and trusting God is exceptionally courageous, but you are loved and you were made to love. Be brave, because the risk is worth the reward.

Reflect:

• What’s the biggest relational risk you’ve ever taken? What’s one good thing that came out of that experience?
• What’s one area of your life where it’s hard for you to trust God? What are you most afraid of?
• What’s one way you can take a step of faith and trust God in that area today?