A Little Reckless
What goes through your mind when seeing this word?
Careless.
Irresponsible.
Rash.
Hasty.
Silly.
We think of reckless drivers who drift all over the road with a pleasure-centered attitude.
We think of reckless pranksters who throw eggs at windows.
We think of reckless people who speak hurtful, harsh words without hesitation.
We think of recklessness that has no conscience.
But we never think of love that way.
Especially God's love.
But God.
He doesn't live in this pretty little box with a red bow. He doesn't do things the way we think they should be done, because, after all, we know better. We can put Him back in the box when we're done with Him.
He doesn't act in a way that we would a lot of the time, because He sees beyond what we see.
He knows the hurt of today can be the beauty of tomorrow.
He knows the solution has a perfect timing.
He knows the change of heart that needs to happen.
He knows the secret to our happiness and fulfillment.
He knows the thoughts of the person next to you just as much as he knows your mind. And how our lives affect each other.
So there's this:
God does these amazing things like heal diseases.
~ "Praise the Lord ... who heals are your diseases." (Psalm 103:3)
God does these powerful things like change hearts.
~ See Paul's story in the New Testament. A murderer. A God-hater. Becomes a redeemed and renewed, forgiven and passionate lover of God.
God does these incredibly unbelievable things like move a person from one location to another.
~ Philip is relocated in Acts 8:39.
~ After Jesus walked on water and the disciples let Him into their boat, they immediately arrived at their destination. (John 6:16-21).
God does this phenomenal thing of loving humans. Loving them like children. Loving them like His most favourite thing in the world.
Because we are.
To the point of sacrificing His Son Jesus, so that we wouldn't have the eternal punishment-horror that sin deserves.
To our human brain, if you think on it, that is a pretty reckless thing to do.
I mean, really.
A lot of those people He died for don't even love Him back.
Who would choose to die a horrific way to help others?
Someone who recklessly didn't think it through. Surely He didn't really want to do that. It was a reckless action, not a good plan.
Who would choose to suffer taunts, beatings, torture, just so others could be saved from the same?
Someone who recklessly didn't realize the cost. Surely He didn't really know how bad it would be.
We can get offended at associating the word "reckless" with the love of God, but isn't that how we could see it?
In our humanity, who does this kind of loving?
But God.
Jesus did this reckless thing of setting Himself up for pain, for rejection, mockery. No matter what the cost. And the cost was the highest. He set Himself up for tortuous death. Horrific punishment. He knew the cost and did it anyway. Because of that reckless love.
What goes through your mind when thinking of this phrase?
Caring.
Responsible.
Thought out.
Provisional.
Brilliant.
We can think of a God who knew He could not be in the presence of sin and evil. A God who loved humans so much that He had to make a way so that we could be in His presence. And that way was a daring, painful, dangerous, crazy way.
Reckless, one might say.
And He whispers this to my heart:
~ Because I love you and want to be with you for eternity. You are My design, my creation, my children, my beloved .~
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)
"Praise the Lord, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, I tell myself; and never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He ransoms me from death and surrounds me with love and tender mercies." (Psalm 103:1-4, NLT)
This post is birthed from a discussion with friends about the word "reckless" and about the song, "Reckless Love" by Cory Asbury. Good stuff.
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