Risk is defined by the dictionary as the possibility of suffering harm or loss; danger; a factor, element or course involving uncertain hazard. Whoa, doesn’t sound like something I want to tangle with. Seriously, why would I want to take on something that had the potential to inflict harm, loss, danger or hazard to or in my life?

The reality is we take on risk as an every day occurrence. Have you ever sped up to make a yellow light, let alone run a red light? Have you ever bought a house with a hefty mortgage banking on the fact that you are a rising young star at your company with lots of supposed income potential ahead of you? Have you ever taken a beneficial medication that has an entire page of warnings as to the possible ill-effects of its use? Have you ever gone out on a date with a special someone not knowing if your heart will be broken down the road? Have you ever conceived a child even though you know there is a genetic disorder in your family history?

Risk has become a four-letter word in our culture, yet we are exposed to and even engage in risky adventures and relationships on a regular basis. But we don’t think of it that way. We are risk-adverse and security-obsessed. Insurance policies, warranties, Consumer Reports safety tests, back-ups to our back-ups are the order of the day. But, to quote Ben Carson in his book, Take the Risk, (2008, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI): “Anyone who refuses to test his limits, anyone unwilling to move out of her comfort zone, is destined to live life inside the envelope. (p8) Carson is an internationally acclaimed brain surgeon who gained his reputation for being willing to take on what others would call extremely risky surgeries.

The true question becomes, then, not whether we take a risk but whether it’s an appropriate risk to take. Next Monday, I will blog on Carson’s tool for analyzing risk.