Today is part three in my World Poker Tour series and today I need to ask you this question: When is the right time to take a risk? When is it time to move ahead, to step up to the plate, to throw in your cards and go all in? In the first week of this series we talked about going all in. Last week we talked about what to do when you only have one card left. It was a message of hope and where to find it. Today we are back at the table and maybe today is your day. Maybe today is the day that you decide to make your move.
Risk is always easier to walk through when you feel like the deck is stacked in your favor. It’s easy to gamble a few bucks when you have a few hundred more in your back pocket. It’s easier to risk speaking the truth to a complete stranger than risk telling the truth to your best friend. It’s simple to risk neglecting your flue shot than risk taking an experimental treatment that may make the difference between life and death. The difference between the big risks and the little risks is the size of the pot. Sometimes you have the privilege of making your move on your own time and sometimes you are forced to make a play.
A friend and I were talking the other day and he told me that he hates his job. He said that it pays well but he hates the hours he has to put in. Some days he works five hours and the next day he works twelve hours. Sometimes he works six days a week and last year he even worked seven days in a row for a month. He works so hard that he has little time left over for himself and his friends. On one hand he wants to quit and on the other hand he needs the money to pay his bills. He wants to quit but feels that his options are limited. He doesn’t know what to do. When should he make his move?
Another friend of mine and I were talking and she wants to buy a house. She is having trouble saving money and is worried that if she buys a house she won’t be able to afford it. She wants to find a place to call home but everything just seems so expensive. She has gone over her numbers dozens of times trying to make them make sense and no matter how many calculations she comes up with she is still afraid to do anything. Instead of taking action she just goes to work and comes home everyday just like she did last year and the year before just hoping that something will change. When should she make her move?
I think that we need to take risks in life and for some of us that comes easier than others. But before throw in our cards and hope for the best I think we need to take a look at someone who has been there.
In the Old Testament there is a book called Nehemiah. It’s a fascinating book that offers you and me a great deal of wisdom when it comes to risk taking. Nehemiah wasn’t born a king or a ruler. He was born into an average family that served the king. Nehemiah’s official title was “cupbearer.” He was a cupbearer to the king which meant that his job was to make sure that the king always had a full glass of whatever he was drinking. He had a pretty good life as cupbearer to the king and probably could have lived out the rest of his life as an average citizen. He could have raised his kids and loved his wife and met his social commitments but he felt compelled to do more. He felt compelled to make a move that would change his life and alter the course of history forever.
The problem: Nehemiah’s extended family was in trouble.
“The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:1-4 NIV
Nehemiah was born into a Jewish family that lived far away from Jerusalem; the Jewish cultural and religious center of activity. But he still had a keen interest in what happened in Jerusalem and it bothered him to see it lie in ruins. The city lye in ruins because years earlier the Jews had been conquered and the invading army destroyed the city hoping to wipe out the Jews. But after the forced exile many o the Jews migrated right back to Jerusalem because they felt that God himself had given them this city as a home place. The city wasn’t much to go back to though. The protective wall around the city had been torn down and everything else was just in shambles.
The risk: Rebuild the wall.
“In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart." I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" Nehemiah 2:1-3 NIV
This would be a monumental task. He had no money, no help, no authority, and lived hundreds of miles away. The odds were definitely stacked against him from the start. But Nehemiah was willing to take a risk. He was ready to make his move. He understood that this risk would involve moving, hard work, and opposition, and he still felt that it was a risk worth taking because the reward was huge.
The reward: Complete the wall.
“The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." Nehemiah 2:4-5 NIV
The reward was to have a wall around the city of Jerusalem that would protect the Jews and stand as a visible reminder that the Jews were back to business as usual. Nehemiah’s reward would come when he took a step back from the completed wall and took a deep breath.
The story of Nehemiah concludes with a happy ending. He did get the rebuild the wall and he did get to take a deep breath while admiring the work that God had done. But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t face insurmountable objects and immovable people along the way. His road to success was paved with problems but in the end his risk paid off.
Maybe you are this morning seeking answers. Maybe you are facing the biggest risk of your life. Maybe you are in the middle of making your move and have begun to question why in the world you took this course of action. I have no idea what you are facing or what you are going through but I can point out the principles that governed Nehemiah’s decision making process and suggest that you follow them as well. So how do I make my move?
How do I make my move?
1. Pray
Ask: How much is at stake?
Nehemiah prayed over what he should do. He could have done nothing and sat on the sidelines but he prayed about it and felt that God wanted him to proceed. You need to pray over which direction to go and figure how much is at stake in the decision you need to make. God will clarify the stakes for you as you commit your plans to him.
Whenever I pray about whether or not I should make a move I always ask God to help me calculate the cost because every risk has a price. The greater the risk the higher the price. Are you going to risk putting your kids in a private school or risk keeping them in a private school. The answer isn’t always a financial one. In fact, that will be the easiest cost to calculate.
Maybe you are ready to risk taking on a new job. The pay might be the same but how about the other costs. Will you be able to spend more time at home or will you travel more? Will you have to drive further or is it closer to home? Will it be more challenging and at what price? These are all questions that you need to ask God to clarify for you. Ask him to help you see the big picture because it’s so easy to get caught in the moment and make the wrong decision.
After you come up with a cost you can make a better informed decision. You need to ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price if you take a gamble and lose.
2. Assess
Ask: Am I willing to pay the price?
The new job offer certainly appears to be a good one from a financial perspective. You will make more money but its going to cost you some of your family time due to more travel. Are you willing to pay that price? Are you willing to say goodbye to your kids to say hello to more money? Is your family willing to pay the price with you? If you are married and have a family this decision impacts more people than just you.
A friend of mine has resisted changing jobs for years because he likes his schedule the way it is. He likes to be home with his kids and go to their games. He has kissed several promotions goodbye because he has refused to progress up the corporate ladder.
I also have friends who have moved to take a better paying job. They calculated the cost and were willing to pay the price for the betterment of their family. So far the move has worked out great for them. The point is that we need to assess the risk before we take the risk. Every risk has a price tag. It’s up to you to decide whether or not you are willing to pay the prices.
A year after my wife and I got married we decided it was time to start looking for a house. We lived in an apartment until I gained full time employment and became eligible to get a VA loan. We figured out how much we could afford and then began hunting for a home. We looked at a few new homes in Waconia and St. Boni and decided that they cost a little more money than we were willing to spend.
Then one day I was driving down hwy 7 and saw a for sale sign in the front yard of a house on a gravel road. I walked up to the door to take a closer look. The homeowner opened the door and offered to give me a quick tour. He showed me the beat up kitchen and the beat up living room. Then he showed me the trashed upstairs and the unfinished basement. The place has so many character marks that it was in desperate need of plastic surgery. I walked away with no intention of ever going back.
A few weeks later my wife and I saw another house that caught our eye. It was in Victoria just of Lake Wausermann. It was an old five bedroom farmhouse that sat on two and a half acres of land. It only had a one car garage but it had a 30 by 30 shed right out back. The owner was asking a whopping $135,000. I thought that was a huge sum of money but we just loved the house.
That night Kathi and I prayed over whether or not we should take a risk and buy the house. We felt that God wanted us to offer them $125,000. I didn’t want to offer any more because even though we could afford the house now we probably wouldn’t be able to if and when we had kids. After assessing the situation we wrote up an offer for $125,000 and hoped that they would take it. Instead they counter offered us at $127,500. We prayed over it again and felt that God didn’t want us to extend ourselves any more.
The bank had said that we could borrow more money than even their asking price but Kathi and I felt that God wanted us to hold firm to our offer and they could either take it or leave it. They left it. Today that house is worth more than $500,000.
But I’m still glad that we didn’t buy it. Instead we bought the house that was falling apart for far less money and that is still the house that we are living in today. It’s still a disaster but we are happy because we knew that we made the right decision. Buying your first home is a big risk. We prayed about our options, counted the costs and played our hand as God revealed it to us. Today my house is still worth $95,000.
3. Act
Ask: What do I need to do?
You know what is at stake, you have counted the cost and you are ready to make your move. Now all you need to do is start moving toward your desired goal.
Most of us get stuck right here. We know what is at stake, we have counted the cost and are determined to make our move tomorrow. Then tomorrow comes and goes and you are still in the same place as you were the day before. I want to tell you that you will never reach your goals if you always wait until tomorrow to reach them. Sometimes the best time to make your move is now. And for other risks sometimes the best time to make your move is a week from now or a year from now. The point is that you need to take action or the whole process is a waste of time.
Nehemiah took action with the wall. He didn’t wait until the moon was just in the right position or until he had enough money or influence. He prayed, he assessed, and he took action. The process worked for him and it will work for you. The closer you are to God the easier it is to determine when it’s the right time.
In conclusion, I hope that this series has inspired you to action. I hope that you understand that When God leads you the safest bet it to be right in the middle of his will. I hope that you have faith that God can turn any hand into a winner. And I hope that you will know when it’s time to make your move. AMEN.
