“T he disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ‘Be careful,’ Jesus warned them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.’ They discussed this with one another and said, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’ ‘Twelve,’ they replied. ‘And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?’ They answered, ‘Seven.’ He said to them, ‘Do you still not understand?’” (Mark 8:14-21)

In Mark 8:14–21 Jesus further challenged his disciples on the issue of faith. The religious and political leaders based their decisions on logic and data analysis. Jesus pushed his disciples toward clarity rather than certainty, toward risk instead of risk management. Be clear on your vision and trust your Audience of One who is guiding you. Take risks for what matters rather than succumb to the fear of failure. The journey of faith begins with counting the cost of one’s decision rather than analyzing more data. The data after the fact will confirm the decision made earlier. Consider the feeding of the multitudes. Jesus pointed out the significance of how much was left over by having the disciples reflect on the actual numbers. Twelve baskets of food from the first miracle—one for each of the tribes of Israel. Seven baskets in the second miracle—the perfect amount for everyone. Serving leaders walk by faith, not by sight.

KEY QUESTIONS: Do I tend toward taking risks or focus rather on risk management? At what point should I switch from logic and data analysis to taking a leap of faith? Am I willing to fail forward? How do the outcomes of succumbing to fear compare to the rewards reaped from taking risks, even when my efforts fail?