Timid or playing it safe?

When I wrote my "A Little Road Mapping" post... I found some great images/quotes that talk about risk.

Just a little refresher

But my favorite one probably comes from the movie Hitch

Because that's what people do... they leap and hope to God they can fly!
 Because otherwise, we just drop like a rock... wondering the whole way down...
"why in the hell did I jump?"
But here I am Sarah, falling. And there's only one person that makes me feel like I can fly...
That's you. -Hitch

Now I know all these quotes are talking about love but I believe everything in life worth something comes with risk.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

- 2 Timothy 1:7

Now in some ways I am all for caution. I mean we are all very cautious with our money, our family, and crossing the street. But I wonder sometimes when we play it too safe? This is still an idea I am working on and thinking through so I am not sure if my sentences will make that much sense (sorry).

I wrote in my post on road mapping and my post "A thought on peace" that I know I have made mistakes and that I am worried that I allow myself to be controlled by my mistakes. That some times leads me into timidity... I am afraid to leap and hope I can fly sometimes because the weight of the mistakes hold me down. It is like a rock tied to my foot that weighs so much I can't leap. But faith is not always an easy walk through the park sometime is it is a big giant leap and not knowing where you are going to land.

While I so wholeheartedly agree with guarding your heart (Proverbs 4:23) I think sometimes we get it the idea wrong. I know I used to see this passage as the "okay" on putting a wall around my heart and blocking people out. But I don't think that is what this verse is talking about. It is not saying put up a fort around your heart and let nobody in I think it is saying let God stand in front of your heart and give Him judgement of who to let in and who to keep out. For some weird reason I see God in this role as a Roman solider (I have no idea why).

Once again this is not all about love but sometimes love can be the biggest risk of all. I know I am very conservative in my dating habits. I don't believe in just casual dating I believe you date to see if it could lead to marriage but that doesn't always mean it will lead to marriage. Sometimes you have to risk heart break to see but I think it is worth the risk. You have to put yourself on the line and see if it work because if you don't nothing will ever work. God can do great things in your life if you are willing to let him road map your adventure but how much can he do in your life if you are just sitting around. 

This verse just came to my mind while I was writing that last part... I haven't really made the connection yet.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19 (some of my favorite verses)

While I can talk that I am all about taking risk I still find my life very much on the cautious side. I don't always like putting things on the line because I am afraid of a "no." So I am still trying to come to terms with not living a life of timidity and guarding your heart it feels like tight rope walking.

So here are the quotes I have to remember...

Because sometimes life is worth the leap.