The Rightness of Risk

When you hear the word success, what comes to mind? For most of us, it’s luck, talent, or being in the right place at the right time. But real success almost always begins with something we’d rather avoid—risk.

In Ecclesiastes 11:1–6, the Preacher reminds us that the only safe way to live in an uncertain world is to understand and embrace the rightness of risk.

Why Risk Is Right

The Preacher begins with a strange command:

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” (Eccl. 11:1)

At first, that sounds like bad advice—who throws food into the water and expects to get it back? But Solomon is using a business metaphor. In the ancient world, trading by sea was dangerous. Ships faced storms, pirates, and shipwrecks, yet they were an important way to gain profit.

The principle is simple: risk is right because it’s the pathway to reward. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Ships are safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for. Likewise, Christians aren’t called to live sheltered lives of self-protection but lives of bold, faith-filled obedience.

Every reward worth having—whether a godly marriage, a thriving ministry, or a deep friendship—requires risk.

Following Jesus is the same way. He calls us to risk comfort, reputation, and even safety to obey His commands. If you’re waiting for discipleship, generosity, evangelism, or missions to feel safe before you step out—you’ll wait forever.

The Preacher’s point is clear: the risk of obedience is always safer than the comfort of disobedience.

When Risk Is Wrong

That doesn’t mean we should take every risk that comes along. Solomon adds,

“Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.” (Eccl. 11:2)

In other words, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s foolish to load all your grain on a single ship that might sink. Wise risk spreads out the investment—it’s bold but not reckless.

Christians sometimes confuse faith with carelessness. But faith doesn’t mean ignoring wisdom. Risk becomes wrong when it’s reckless—when we leap without prayer, ignore Scripture, or refuse counsel.

The Apostle Paul modeled this balance beautifully. He risked everything for the gospel—imprisonment, beatings, and even death—but he wasn’t careless. He fled persecution when it was wise. He appealed to Caesar when it furthered his mission. His faith made him fearless, not foolish.

True courage is not the absence of caution but the presence of conviction.

How Risk Is Resisted

If risky obedience is right and reckless risk is wrong, why do so few of us live boldly for Christ? Because we often resist risk by waiting for perfect conditions that never come.

The Preacher writes,

“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” (Eccl. 11:4)

Picture a farmer glued to the weather forecast. It’s too windy to plant today. Tomorrow might bring rain. Before long, the whole season passes, and he’s planted nothing.

That’s a picture of how fear can paralyze us. Many Christians feel the Spirit prompting them to share the gospel, give sacrificially, serve in ministry, or reconcile a broken relationship—but they’re waiting for ideal timing.

There’s always a reason to delay. The conditions are never perfect.

Jesus told a similar story in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13). The farmer scattered seed on all kinds of ground—hard, rocky, thorny, and good. Only one soil produced fruit. If that farmer had waited for “perfect soil,” he would have never planted anything.

The lesson is simple: faith obeys even when the forecast is uncertain.

If you wait until the risk feels manageable, you’ll never step out in faith. The person who never risks never reaps.

Where Risk Is Redeemed

Finally, Solomon points us to the mysterious providence of God:

“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.” (Eccl. 11:5)

Risk feels scary because we’re not in control. But that’s the point—God is. He’s the Creator who breathes life into a baby’s bones, the sovereign Lord who governs every outcome. You can’t see His plan in advance, but you can trust His heart in the process.

That’s why Solomon ends with this exhortation:

“In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper.” (Eccl. 11:6)

Don’t wait. Keep sowing. Keep serving. Keep giving. Keep trusting. Some of your efforts will bear fruit you never see in this life—but none of them are wasted in God’s economy.

Risk is redeemed when it’s rooted in faith.

The Gospel of Risk

Ultimately, this passage points us to the One who gave His life for us—Jesus Christ.

He left the safety of heaven to enter our broken world. He endured misunderstanding, rejection, betrayal, suffering, and death. And He did it not for His gain, but for ours.

On the cross, Jesus bore the ultimate loss so that we could receive the ultimate reward—eternal life with God. His resurrection proves that faith in God’s promises is never in vain.

When you understand that your eternity is secure in Christ, you can risk boldly for His glory.

So cast your bread on the waters. Share the gospel with your neighbor. Give generously. Serve faithfully. Forgive freely. Step into obedience even when you can’t control the outcome.

Because in the end, the only true failure is the risk never taken for the sake of Christ.