Big Risk Bigger Reward

ILLUSTRATION: Tell a story of a big risk leading to a big reward. (Eg: going to the moon, asking someone to marry you, or an over-the-top play in a close game.) I told the story of my engagement.

— TRANSITION —

Turn on the radio and you will hear song after song about love. They each play with this tension of risk and reward. That’s what separates a breakup song from a cute little love song. There are just as many songs written about heartbreak as are written about love. Why?

• Because love is a risk.

• Here's the thing about falling in love: What if you fall but they don’t catch you? You have to take a massive step into the unknown. It’s uncomfortable and scary.

• They might reject you.

• They might break your heart.

• You might find out that they don’t like cheese.

• Love, at its core, risks your stability, security, and even sanity.

• Love is a big risk, but it can lead to a bigger reward.

— TRANSITION —

When we think of love stories, our minds often go to the end-results. We want to see the wedding, but we don’t see the planning. We want to see the cute date nights, but we don’t want to see the fights.

Here is what we want you to understand: When you truly find the right person, the reward will be worth the risk.

Let’s study a story in scripture where a young girl put herself out there, taking a major risk, but it led to a reward that changed the world.

• The Book of Ruth is a powerful love story that starts off with tragedy. In the first chapter, Naomi, her husband, and her sons move to a foreign land. Why are they moving? A famine is destroying their homeland.

• Just as they begin to settle down, the two sons tragically die. Then Naomi’s husband dies as well. This left three widows all alone with no promise of a good future.

• Unfortunately, in this culture, it was really hard to be a single woman. You couldn’t really work or make money, so there was no way for you to provide for yourself. This tragedy was like a slow death sentence for the three widows. They were alone and poor with no one to protect them.

• Naomi was so hurt by life that she changed her name to “bitter.”

• Ruth became the hope of the family. She was unmarried, which meant that she could potentially meet someone. This is where we picked up in our text.

• Naomi encouraged Ruth to take a big risk to seek out a man named Boaz.

• This story would probably make a pretty mediocre movie. It’s very simple and to-the-point.

• There’s no love triangle.

• There’s no chase through the airport.

• It’s just a girl seeking out a guy.

• There are a couple of things to unpack in this story.

• First, I'm sure some of you cringed when it said that Boaz was a relative. It’s not as strange as it sounds. It simply means they were from the same tribe, which was a big deal back then. Family preservation played a big role in ancient relationships.

• Secondly, what on earth does “uncover his feet” mean? It sounds a little gross, right? As we have seen with the example of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, uncovering feet was a sign of service and sacrifice back then.

• Third, it was unheard of for a woman to initiate a relationship in this time. Marriages were usually arranged by fathers and sons, but Ruth took initiative in this narrative. It’s bold, but it pays off.

• Ruth fell, but Boaz caught her.

• They got married then had a baby — which ultimately preserved the family for future generations.

• This led to Naomi’s joy being restored.

• What was the major lynchpin of this love story? Ruth took a risk. Ruth’s risk changed the course of history forever.

• She was from the line of Judah, the son of Jacob and Leah. Their family lineage was about to hit a dead end. Which would have been a big problem. However, due to her obedience, the family flourished.

• Ultimately, she became the great-grandmother to King David. Then a few hundred years later, Jesus was born from the line of Judah.

— TRANSITION —

Love is a risk, sure. But, it’s a risk worth taking. Look at how it paid off for Ruth. Jesus came from her lineage! The birth of Jesus is the reason your birthday is marked “AD” instead of “BC.” Ultimately, her risk changed the course of human history. Salvation came to all mankind because of this seemingly-lousy love story.

• We may not understand why God is asking us to do something, but trusting Him leads to astounding outcomes.

• God’s plans for you are bigger than you can ask or imagine.

That’s also true for your relationships. God wants the best for you, because he loves you.

• When you are ready to take the risk of love, strive to reflect God in your relationship. What does that look like?

• Obey Him — together.

• Worship Him — together.

• Serve Him — together.

• Trust Him — together.

• If you let God write your love story, then you can be assured it’s going to be one worth telling.

• When you do that, you are letting God guide your love life. That’s good because God truly knows what’s best for you.

• Just like Ruth, every step of the way, strive to obey.

• There is so much guidance on love and romance in scripture. Listen to it! Live it out.

• God gives us guidelines in Scripture because they put us on the path to our best lives.

• As we discussed, love is a risk. But it’s a risk worth taking! God’s word can act as a parachute for when you fall in love.

• You can mitigate the risk with obedience.

• If you put the proper boundaries in place, heartbreak hurts much less.

• If take the time to ensure they’re the right person, then you’ll move slower.

• And even if you fall and they don’t catch you, Jesus will. A life-giving relationship with Jesus is 100x better than a relationship with another person.

• He will help you heal through the heartbreak.

• He calls you worthy, valuable, and beautiful.

• Look at all the movies and music about love. Culture sees relationships through the lens of infatuation and drama.

• We need to flip the script. It’s time that we approach relationships through the lens of true love — which can only be found in God and his word (1 Cor. 13:4-8).

• Stop comparing your story to those in movies and on television.

• Those were written by scriptwriters. Yours can be written by God. Hand Him the pen.

• Landing: Let God write your love story.

TALK IT OUT Go through these questions with your circle. Be honest. Be open. Talk through the tough stuff.

Q1: What’s your favorite love story from a movie or TV show?

Q2: What “rewards” does God want for us in a healthy relationship?

Q3: What risks do you take when you approach dating based on God’s teachings instead of what’s most common?

Q4: How might those risks pay off in the end?

Q5: Ruth obeyed her mother-in-law and God when pursuing Boaz. How are your parents and God guiding you to approach dating? Are you being obedient?

Q6: What’s one big way you want to honor God with your future relationships? How can you maintain this commitment?

READ THESE PASSAGES IN ORDER EVERY DAY

Romans 10:1-13

Ephesians 2:1-10

Proverbs 14:4-6

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Galatians 2:20 2

Corinthians 5:14-21

Luke 15

Do the following with each passage:

ASK– God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down and inviting God to be present. Begin with focus and openness to see what God has for you today.

READ– the selected section of Scripture slowly. Take note of the words and phrases that intrigue you, reading them a second time if necessary.

REFLECT– on what grabs you. How does this passage personally relate to your own life and experiences?

RESPOND– to the Scripture. Speak directly to God about what’s on your mind and heart. Look for ways to live out what you’ve uncovered.