That Was Bold and Risky

NASCAR was in the spotlight during Memorial Day weekend as the Coca-Cola 600 took place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was a somber atmosphere as the racing community mourned and honored the legendary Kyle Busch, who passed away suddenly last Thursday.

Busch left an impact on the sport and on individual drivers, including Daniel Suárez, who went on to win this year’s Coca-Cola 600. It was emotional as he paid tribute to Busch and recognized how much he had helped him throughout his career.

This year’s race was also affected by weather, but it was Suárez and his team who navigated it wisely with a crucial decision that allowed them to make it to Victory Lane.

Suárez was in 13th place during a caution flag for lightning on Lap 356. While the other drivers went into pit row to put on four new tires, Suárez’s crew chief, Ryan Sparks, made the call to change only two tires as a strategic move to get in front as the weather continued to threaten. 

Instead of raising both sides of the car to change all four tires, the team raised only the right side, saving time and allowing Suárez to head straight to the front out of pit road.

Ultimately, he took the lead and held on for the final 17 laps, which included two rain-related restarts. NASCAR finally had to end the race prematurely on Lap 373, 27 laps short, but Suárez was in first at that time and was determined the winner.

It turned out to be a special story with Suárez’s connection to Busch, and this was his first Coca-Cola 600 win. It was also surprising and compelling, considering the strategic move and bold risk that crew Chief Ryan Sparks took by changing only two tires. (He was counting on the race ending early.)

Their team was willing to go against the normal procedure in that situation and do something different from what the other front-running drivers were doing during the pit stop.

Even though it may have been risky driving on two old tires and even controversial to some, they weren’t concerned with falling in line with everyone else. Instead, they chose to do something they thought would give them the best chance to win.

That decision changed Suárez’s trajectory, as he took the lead and held on. In the end, it was absolutely worth being bold and doing something surprising and risky.

When it comes to our own lives, there is a challenging parallel we should consider today. As followers of Jesus, are we willing to live boldly and make surprising and risky decisions? 

I’m not talking about foolish or harmful and definitely not sinful choices. Still, there are times when we must go against the norm, take a strategic risk, and do something different from everyone else.

As we look to the example of Jesus and His life on earth, we can see many times when He did something risky, surprising, or even controversial. He always knew it was worth it and that it had greater purposes and motivations aligned with God’s will.

He was willing to go against the norm, putting himself at risk with the religious and political leaders. 

Matthew 21:12 (NIV) tells us, “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.”

Jesus’ actions turned out to be a bold move, surely surprising and angering people.

Also, throughout Scripture, Jesus embraced the law but emphasized love, mercy, and compassion over legalism. He demonstrated this by His bold, risky, and surprising decision to heal a man on the Sabbath.

Mark 3:1-6 (AMP) explains, “Again, Jesus went into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. The Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him [in the Jewish high court]. He said to the man whose hand was withered, ‘Get up and come forward!’ He asked them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. 

“After looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness and arrogance of their hearts, He told the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ And he held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians [to plot] against Him, as to how they might [fabricate some legal grounds to] put Him to death.”

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus also surprised people when He ate meals with tax collectors, forgave people’s sins, and interacted with those whom others avoided.

Jesus did many other things set apart, bold, surprising, and risky, but in the end, He ended up in “Victory Lane.”

As His followers, we too are victorious because of our faith in His death and resurrection. While we live Spirit-filled lives, let’s make bold moves to proclaim the gospel, take steps of faith, and make prayerful, strategic risks that give us the best chance “to win” people to the Lord.

As long as we’re seeking Jesus and motivated by our love for Him, whatever He asks us to risk is always worth it. After all, in the end, we know we’ll be in the winner’s circle!

So today, let’s ask God to lead and guide our lives and decisions so they differ from the world and align with His Word, and to give us boldness to go against cultural norms and to passionately love others by surprising them with our mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and care.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please give me the strength and wisdom to make bold decisions even when I have to risk comfort or things of this world. I pray that I’d be willing to do whatever it takes to point people to You, so they, too, can experience Your love and grace. Please help me to surprise people with my decisions to love, forgive, and show compassion. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.