Risk is Required
-An exclusive excerpt from Allen’s new book-
The desire for a good, safe life is alluring. But are those traits the hallmark of epic biblical stories…or the stories from Hallmark movies?
Our desire for safety is understandable. We want to protect those we love and do what we can to stay out of harm’s way. But pursuing a life with God requires that we also release control and step out in faith for who and what matters most. Perhaps that’s why every great story in the Bible includes an element of risk. Consider Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s bold but unsafe (in human terms) response to King Nebuchadnezzar after he threatened to throw them into a fiery furnace for not bowing and worshipping a ninety-foot-tall, nine-foot-wide gold statue of himself.
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up. (Daniel 3:17-18 NLT)
Just as safety can’t be our main priority, neither can a good life. At least if by “good” we mean comfortable—or that we are good because we embrace what culture dictates as good. Being good isn’t bad. It just isn’t good enough. The goal is to be holy:
But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT)
Playing it safe is different from experiencing God’s protection in the storm. A good life is different from the deep inner work of a holy life. Our ultimate hope is not in this life, but in the one to come:
Here on earth we do not have a city that lasts forever, but we are looking for the city that we will have in the future. (Hebrews 13:14 NCV)
May we risk our best for what matters most!
(From The Creativity Glitch: How to Stop Being Stuck, Find Your Groove, & Create with God.Copyright © 2026 Allen Arnold.)
This reading was crafted to encourage your pursuit of story and creativity with God. Your donation makes this crowd-funded initiative possible. You can support it via PAYPAL (or by check to Allen Arnold at PO Box 62841, Colorado Springs, CO 80962).
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