Worth the risk?

We've asked our Mentor Group girls the question, "Who IS Jesus?"  As I've thought about their possible responses, I have asked myself that question as well. I've known my Savior since I was a small child. I've really never known life without Him. So who is He to me? I don't want to grow stale in my relationship to Him. I've read the Bible front to back, memorized hundreds of Scriptures, led and been in many, many Bible studies. Yet how much do I really know HIM? I think it's time to pursue a new level of trust, new level of depth with my Savior. In reading chapter 3, one question stood out to me - when the Muslim man asked, "Why is Jesus worth the risk?" (p. 39)  Now I ask myself that as well...and then I ask myself, "What risks have I ever taken for Jesus?" I have Christian family members (almost all, including 2nd and 3rd cousins even), Christian friends (do I even have ONE non-Christian friend??), and Christian co-workers. I live in a safe "bubble," away from the risks of being a Christ-follower. I can only hope that my faith is so strong that it would, indeed, stand up to any persecution.
I read something in my devotional this morning that fit perfectly, and I want to quote it here:
     "Jesus said, 'No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also' (John 15:20). And remember, they didn't just persecute Jesus. They crucified Him.
     It's said more than forty-five million men and women during the twentieth century were put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ. In more recent times, the estimate of those who are persecuted for their faith has been between 160,000 and 170,000 a year. Imagine! More than 10,000 Christians dying for their faith every month. More than 400 a day!
     This morning while you were getting up and trying to decide what to wear, what to eat, somewhere in the world, a man or woman, or child, was paying the ultimate price for their relationship with Jesus. Why do we cringe when someone simply raises an eyebrow when we mention our faith?
     It's time you and I had the courage to stand up and speak out for Jesus. If He is filling our hearts, how can we help it?"               (Anne Graham Lotz, Fixing My Eyes on Jesus)
So, on to a deeper walk, a deeper trust, so I can honestly begin to say "Yes" to the questions posed on pg. 51: "Will you trust Me? Will you trust Me with your relationships? Will you trust Me with your careers? Will you trust Me with your finances? Will you trust Me with your future?"
Kathy Elliott