Reckless

There's a popular, Dove Award-winning song that is based on a parable of Jesus in Luke 15, in which He teaches:
4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Those of us who have been saved were all in that condition - separated from God, in need of a Savior so that we might be brought into fellowship with our heavenly Father.  The overwhelming love of God is so strong that He will pursue one who is lost "until he finds it."  God never gives us on us, even when we reject Him - time after time.  He just keeps on loving us, because He wants to bring us into a saving knowledge of Himself through His Son, who paid the ultimate price so that we might come to know Him.

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In Ephesians 3, the apostle Paul issues a prayer that we might know and experience God's love.  He
writes:
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

How many different words can you use to describe the love of God?  You might, in the spirit of Ephesians 3, just consider the vastness of that love.  You can think about the expression of that love by Jesus on the cross.  You can recognize that His love is unconditional.  And...it is personal; He loves ME!

Christian musical artist Cory Asbury has used a word to describe the love of God in one of his songs, which just won the GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year last week in Nashville.  The word: Reckless!  Cory writes on Facebook:

When I use the phrase, “the reckless love of God”, I’m not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so. What I mean is this: He is utterly unconcerned with the consequences of His actions with regards to His own safety, comfort, and well-being. His love isn’t crafty or slick. It’s not cunning or shrewd. In fact, all things considered, it’s quite childlike, and might I even suggest, sometimes downright ridiculous. His love bankrupted heaven for you. His love doesn’t consider Himself first. His love isn’t selfish or self-serving. He doesn’t wonder what He’ll gain or lose by putting Himself out there. He simply gives Himself away on the off-chance that one of us might look back at Him and offer ourselves in return.

His love leaves the ninety-nine to find the one every time. To many practical adults, that’s a foolish concept. “But what if he loses the ninety-nine in search of the one?” What if? Finding that one lost sheep is, and will always be, supremely important.

I have to admit, especially in a radio context, you don't have always the luxury of issuing a disclaimer about a song that might raise a few eyebrows because of the use of a certain word or phrase.  So, while Cory's explanation is compelling, it simply can't be included every time you play the song.

And, there has been plenty of discussion about the use of the word, "reckless."

CBN.com posed the question, "Is God's love reckless?"  An article says:

Evangelical theologian and apologist Randal Rauser says 'no' and criticized the song recently.

"God's love is the very antithesis of recklessness. What is more, when God asks us to live out Christ's love he challenges us likewise to set aside the intensity of wavering infatuations and instead soberly count the cost," he said.

His analysis is found in a Christian Post article.

The story also quotes from John Piper, who "explains that using the term 'reckless' could imply that God does not know the future, and that he takes risks without knowing the outcome -- a view he calls 'heretical.'"  However, Piper extends some grace, saying, "Maybe the author used the word reckless in the sense that God's love may look, to an outsider, foolish, ill-advised, brash, and breakneck, but in fact the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men..."

CBN says, "This is the interpretation Asbury openly preaches. In fact, he goes straight to scripture to defend his use of the word." The Scripture he cites, according to the article, is from Luke 15, which points to the leaving of the 99 sheep to seek the one.

Christianity Today covered the controversy, as well.  One quote, from Wen Reagan of Duke Divinity School, said:

"Reckless could be taken two ways here. One is with its common implication of “thoughtlessness” or “carelessness.” I think we can all agree that’s not a very accurate description of God’s love for us, and if that was the association here, then the song would be problematic. But I think there’s a second connotation, and one better supported by the lyrical context. We might call it “foolishness,” and I think that’s spot-on.

Todd Johnson of Fuller Theological Seminary is quoted as saying:

There are two words that are helpful here. Myth, or that which we expect… and parable, or that which we do not expect: the last will be first, marriages end in divorce, the Samaritan is the best example of faith, and the kingdom of God is like a shepherd who leaves 99 sheep in search of the lost one. This reckless shepherd is a kingdom example in that parable, a reckless example with which we are still uncomfortable evidently.

Relevant Magazine attempted to show both sides of the discussion.  An article included material from a blog post from theologian Andrew Gabriel, who wrote:

I searched for the meaning of “reckless,” and Almighty Google tells me that “reckless” describes someone who acts “without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.”

I tried the more respectable Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, and, similarly, it defines reckless as “marked by lack of proper caution: careless of consequences” and even as “irresponsible.”

I don’t think too many Christians would like to say that God is “careless” or that God’s love doesn’t “care about consequences.” Instead, God loves us with the clear and thoughtful intention …

But, the article also stated:

The hosts of popular YouTube Channel “Worship Tutorials” make it a point to emphasize that the lyrics seen above make explicit reference to God’s love and not God’s identity. It is the way that God loves that is reckless, they say, and not God Himself that is reckless.

It goes on to say:

Both sides make some good points. One side says God is intentional. True. If Ephesians 2:10 is any indication, God reconciling the world unto Godself is a calculated effort that’s been in the works for a long time—like, ever. The other side says, but God did act without caring about the consequences to Godself when pursuing redemption for humanity. Also, true.

Recently, Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church spoke at Greg Laurie's church, Harvest Christian Fellowship.  The topic: The Reckless Love of God, based on Luke 15.  Laurie relates in a blog post about his response while that song was being played in a Harvest Crusade.  He writes:

I was standing on the field as people where walking down, listening the the lyrics of the song Reckless Love: “Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found . . . ” and it dawned on me, do I pursue my children the way God pursues me? Do I pray for them enough? Do I show them that God is first in my life? Do I live a Christian life they’d want to follow?

So, how do you describe the love of God?  Whether or not you agree with the use of the word, "reckless," still this can lead to an exercise of examining how we consider and respond to God's love.  I admit, I would have preferred a word like, "relentless," to be used, but Cory's point is well taken - we can consider God's assertive pursuit to bring people into a saving knowledge of Himself.  The thought here deals with leaving the 99 sheep in order to claim the one lost sheep.  That illustrates the extent to which God will go in order to show His love and bring you into a relationship with Him.

God's love is a sacrificial love, and it's demonstrated by His giving His one and only Son in order to purchase and provide salvation for you and me.  God loves you so much that He did not want to allow our sin to keep us apart from Him - He is more than capable of forgiving all our sins, and we don't have to allow the past to keep us trapped in its grip.  We can surrender to the overpowering, unconditional love of God.

We can be confident in our lives that we are loved by God.  That changes our outlook and it can bring joy to our hearts.  We can get so down on ourselves sometimes, and the knowledge of God's love can produce a totally different approach to life.  And, receiving God's love can also affect how we love others.  We are charged in Scripture to life a life of love, a life that is filled with God's presence and knowing that He is with us.