Risk, Poker & Innovation

I was talking to a close friend the other day, and eventually we got onto the topic of Girls (as a lot of conversations seem to drift towards). We started talking about dating and the way we do this as christians.

Ill hafta share my story sometime on this blog but that can wait for another post.

In a nutshell I am the only one in my family to have a faith committment. I am exposed to differing lifestyles, this has its pros and its cons. I see my sisters lifestyle and the way she reacts to life and I know that it is not the way I want to live my life BUT I do see that her relationships are a lot more open and honest about intentions right from the beginning.

Something I found funny is the way we as Christians go about dating. We have to be so sure before we say something, its like a bad game of poker; to minimise the risk of loosing we 'hedge' our bets before we do anything. In relationships it seems that we don't want to take a risk unless we are really sure, I can understand why we do this because to take a risk is to open yourself up and to be vulnerable to someone who may reject us. Personally I have had little experience with dating, the experiences I have had have not been positive and I know I went through a patch where I felt that relationships (and friendships in general) were not worth the effort. The cost can be high, But does that mean we stop taking risks? A poker player that never takes a risk on their hand will never find out what could have come from playing that hand out. They could loose everything, they could break even or they could clean out the house. Such is the way with a risk. The thing with taking a risk is that it can hurt, it can mean heartache and the (potential) crushing of dreams. Personally I have experienced rejection mostly because of me misinterpeting friendship for something more. At times I get scared that I will be alone for the rest of my life, but then I generally get caught up in the busyness of life and it gets forgotten. Well regardless of my 'relationship status' I know that seeking & serving God is the priority.

Comfortable vs Innovative

I wonder if this attitude of 'hedging' our bets is wider than just dating, I wonder if this has become the mantra for the church in general. We seek to be safe before we move forward, we seek to be comfortable above being innovative and we sit there and question why people don't come en-masse to meet God. I think this is why I have loved being involved with Youth Minsitry at my church, the youth are not afraid to be innovative, they are a lot more willing to take risks.

So what am I going to do about it? Its easy to complain about the church but harder to get stuck in and make a change....

Well

I'm going to get stuck in again, be willing to serve where needed and be willing to put my money where my mouth is. I am exploring the possibility of starting a small group that meets during the lunchbreak downtown in timaru and explores issues that arise in life.

Female picture from http://www.deviantart.com/print/43962/

Dog poker picture from http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/7943902/

Good articles on singleness http://www.christianitytoday.com/singles