The following article has been reposted in its entirety with permission from Tiffany Montgomery of hopejoyinchrist.com
A dear pastor friend of mine was talking through a worship song that has stirred some controversy. I have to confess that as he began I already felt anger welling over the topic…
As he finished I felt this message begin to rise up inside of me so intensely that I had to write it down and today I feel led to share it with you.
God is Mysterious and Beyond Our Understanding
Extravagant love
Audacious love
Love that is lavished on us without condition
Our adventurous God loves us with reckless abandon.
He loved us first before we were ever born
He loved with such reckless abandon that He sent His only son to take our place.
In reckless abandon, He extends mercy and grace when we could never earn or deserve it.
God’s Love is What Keeps Us Connected
Not only did He begin this relationship but through HIS audacious love He maintains that relationship.
He gives extravagant love without needing anything in return… even when we turn from Him He still shows us love by pursuing us.
Before we could ever begin to love him He Audaciously loved us -and even what we give Him in worship, He gave us first.
Oh to understand the great love of God… how wide and how long and how deep and how high is HIS extravagant reckless love!
Why Don’t I Like The Phrase, “Reckless Love”?
It is the word, “reckless” that sets me on edge…. God is not reckless. He is wise and discerning and all-knowing…
Reckless has a negative implication, like God is careless… Thinking about God’s love being reckless stirs anger inside of me because God is anything but careless!
Synonyms to Think Deeper
What if I swap the word reckless for its positive synonyms? Will I see this song a different way?
- Extravagant
- Audacious
- Lavish
- Adventurous
His love is something we can never understand…. and just when I think I know it well He does something new. It pushes the idea of God outside of the tidy little box I like to put Him into! I think that’s part of the issue.
God’s Love in Scripture
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV
That sounds like a love given with reckless abandon. That is the love of God… wild and unreserved and mysterious.
Living Under Authority
There are times I have Biblical grounds to stand against something. Other times I can’t say why I don’t like it…
Then there are moments God steps on my self-righteous toes like this week and says to listen with fresh ears.
I live under the authority of God and so I listen when He calls me on my stuff 😉
Yesterday this song rang through my mind all day… the lyrics are powerful and rich. The message gives glory to God alone. I needed that!
I will leave the song right here for you!
Has God Shown You Love Recently?
Life is hard and there is much stress all around. As true as that is, there have also been moments of blessing and utterly breathtaking surprises from God!
This week alone God has shown His hand and His love in extravagant ways… in the midst of pain and fatigue and fear… it’s such a paradox but so like HIM!
Has He done that for you lately? Have you been looking for His hand moving in your situation?
Something I learned years ago, is to watch for Him, look for Him every day and journal what I see.
The more you look, the more you will see.
The more you see the more you will ask of Him.
The more you share with others what He did, the more joy your life will shine out!
I am praying for that kind of joy to fill you up today… for fresh eyes to see God’s hand lavishly loving you even in the midst of trials!
in HIS love,
Tiffany
Reposted with permission by Tiffany Montgomery of hopejoyinchrist.com . Thank you, Tiffany!
