The risk of following Christ is rising in many parts of the world, and the call of God may someday lead any one of us into places that require courage, conviction, and a deep trust in God.

For those of us ministering in Ukraine, the question is no longer theoretical. Since the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, pastors, missionaries, and church members have faced a deeply personal decision: Do I stay and serve in danger, or do I leave to find safety? Some stayed. Some left. Some suffered. Many were unprepared to make such a decision.

This article is not about praising or criticizing anyone’s choices. Rather, it is about preparing God’s people—spiritually, and biblically—to make wise and faithful decisions when the mission of God intersects with real danger.

The Mission of God Is About His Glory

Understanding risk begins by understanding mission. Why do we go? Why do we stay? Why do choose to preach the Gospel and serve our Savior?

Scripture makes the answer clear: God’s mission is driven by God’s glory.

“I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another…” —Isaiah 42:8

If we go on mission for personal fulfillment, adventure, or reputation, any risk will feel too great. But when God’s glory is the supreme goal of our lives, fear begins to fade. Isaiah the prophet saw the glory of God before he ever received his commission. He heard the angels cry, “Holy, holy, holy,” and responded first with repentance, then with willingness.

He said, “Here am I. Send me,” without even knowing the details. He served more than 50 years in a hard place because he understood something deeply important: The glory of God is greater than the danger of any mission field.

When God becomes our treasure, risk becomes a secondary question.

What Risk Really Is—and Why It Exists

Risk is simply the possibility of loss. It may be the loss of comfort, reputation, finances, safety, or even life. Because we live in a fallen world and possess limited knowledge, we cannot avoid risk, eliminate risk, or fully predict it.

But here is good news: with God, there is no such thing as risk.

God is never surprised and never uncertain. He knows the end from the beginning.

“Before they spring into being I announce them to you.” —Isaiah 42:9

So for the believer, risk is not a threat—it is simply a reminder that we are not God. When we obey Him, we place ourselves in the hands of a God who never takes chances. Whatever we may “lose” on earth is only temporary, and in Christ, every loss becomes gain.

Paul understood this clearly:

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” —Philippians 1:21

When Christ is our life, even death becomes victory.

Risk and Faith: Why They Are Connected

Nearly every major figure in Scripture lived at the intersection of faith and risk.

• Abraham left his homeland without knowing where he was going.
• Moses chose mistreatment with the people of God rather than the pleasures of Egypt.
• Esther approached the king saying, “If I perish, I perish.”
• The Apostle Paul lived in constant danger—rivers, bandits, enemies, imprisonment, shipwreck.

Faith without the willingness to face loss is not faith—it is comfort. The Israelites refused to enter the Promised Land because they feared giants. Their refusal to take risk revealed a lack of faith and ultimately disobedience to God.

When we refuse to obey God and take certain risks in the process, we forfeit our calling and lose out on the blessing of walking by faith, not by sight.

Calling and Courage Go Together

No one should enter the mission field—especially a dangerous one—without a deep sense of calling. Paul endured enormous suffering because he was convinced of the call of God on his life (Romans 1:1). Calling anchors us when fear whispers that we should retreat.

If God has called you to serve:

• Confirm it through Scripture.
• Confirm it through your church.
• Confirm it through spiritual fruit and proven character.
• Remember it when danger comes—your calling is part of God’s protection and guidance.

Why Some Believers Stay in Dangerous Places

I spoke to several Ukrainian pastors and missionaries who chose to remain in occupied or war-affected zones. They all described a combination of factors that guided them:

• Prayer and a clear sense of God’s leading
• Overwhelming needs around them
• A sense of responsibility before God
• Support from their spouse or church leadership

One pastor said simply, “People needed help. They came to our home hungry. How could we leave them?” Another shared, “My presence calmed the church.” Still another said, “This is not our courage—this is the peace that the Lord gives.”

Their decisions were not reckless—they were rooted in obedience and compassion.

But they also warned against wrong motivations for staying:

• Don’t stay to be a hero.
• Don’t stay out of pride or stubbornness.
• Don’t stay because others expect it.
• Don’t stay because you’re afraid of feeling guilty.

Risk should never be embraced for its own sake. We do not seek danger—we seek gospel opportunity. And often, gospel opportunity is greatest where the danger is greatest.

Why the Hard Places Are Often the Ripe Places

History—both biblical and modern—shows that people are more spiritually open in times of suffering. When life is easy, hearts often grow hard. When life is uncertain, people begin to cry out to God.

In Ukraine, some of the most remarkable gospel fruit has come in the darkest days of war. Pastors who stayed to distribute food or comfort the traumatized found doors opening for evangelism that had been closed for years.

Jesus said the path that leads to life is narrow (Matthew 7:14). The missionary path is narrower still. And yet it is on that path that we often see the greatest multiplication of grace.

Making Wise Decisions in Times of Risk

Each missionary and each family must ultimately make their own decision. But Scripture and experience offer wise principles:

1. Prepare spiritually for crisis and danger before they come.
2. Plan wisely while times are calm.
3. Never serve alone—stay connected to the body of Christ.
4. Seek confirmation from your church and trusted believers.
5. Make decisions together as a family.
6. Stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
7. Once you decide, move forward in faith.

There are times when God calls us to stay, and times when He calls us to leave. Even Jesus avoided danger at moments because “His hour had not yet come.” Wisdom and courage must always walk together.

Conclusion: Risk Everything for Missio Dei

We do not know how God will use our losses for His mission—but He will. In His kingdom, nothing truly lost for His glory is ever wasted.

In Ukraine, God is shaping a generation of believers who fear God and fear nothing else. This is what the mission of God does: it frees us from the tyranny of danger and invites us into the joy of obedience. When we follow Christ, we may lose comforts, possessions, or even life itself. But in Him, every loss becomes gain, and every risk becomes a step toward eternal reward.

May God give us faith, wisdom, and courage to follow Him—wherever He leads, whatever it costs—all for His glory.