Recently one of my granddaughters gifted me with one of her beautiful painting creations. I didn’t realize until later that it’s a line in a song by Cory Asbury. It motivated me on a quest of diving deeper into the meaning of the “reckless” love of God.
Since the word “reckless” in the dictionary has a negative connotation, Cory has received negative feedback from some Christians. He explains:
“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. 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. The recklessness of His love is seen most clearly in this – it gets Him hurt over and over. Make no mistake, our sin pains His heart. Yet He opens up and allows us in every time. His love saw you when you hated Him – when all logic said, ‘They’ll reject me,’ He said, ‘I don’t care if it kills me. I’m laying My heart on the line.'”
In The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning shares:
“When one of England’s finest writers, G. K. Chesterton, spoke of ‘the furious love of God,’ he was referencing the enormous vitality and strength of the God of Jesus seeking union with us. Another ragamuffin, Rich Mullins, sought to describe the same longing of God:
‘In the reckless raging fury
that they call the love of God.'”
Recently, in an Incourage post, It’s Absurd and Seems Reckless, but It’s True, Jennifer Dukes Lee wrote:
“Still, I love these kittens – with a reckless, unreasonable love – even though I know they will break my heart. Even though I know they’ll misbehave. Even though they act they like don’t need me. Even though they think they are little gods running the show. Even though they snag my shirts with their sharp little claws.
The other day, as I was walking back up the hill from the kittens’ shed to our house, a truth bomb dropped into the center of my soul. It felt as if God were talking right to me with these words: ‘Now you know how I feel.’“
God’s love for us is so deep that He stops at nothing to seek us out and bring us to Himself. So fathomless that He suffered excruciating pain and sacrificed His life for us. So “reckless” that He rescues us again and again no matter how much we hurt Him.
“Reckless Love”
by Cory Asbury
“Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ‘til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God”
Freed to Fly 
Oh, Trudy, that painting by your granddaughter is amazing! And thank goodness that God loves us all with such reckless abandon. We would be so very lost otherwise, wouldn’t we?
Blessings, my friend, and thanks for this inspiration today!
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Thank you, Martha. I think it is amazing, too. 🙂 Yes, we certainly would be so very lost without God’s loving us with such reckless abandon, never taking thought to Himself but only thinking of us. I’m grateful you were inspired. Blessings to you, too! May we love like Jesus!
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I love your granddaughter’s painting, Trudy! It’s bold and beautiful. And I can identify with God’s love being deemed “reckless” as well as “ardent” and “scandalous” because of the way it overturns all human presumption and expectation. His love goes to extreme lengths to reach out to the object of its affection, namely us. Jesus was considered to be a rebel and a radical by the religious establishment of His day. I wonder how many of us could be said to be outrageous with our mercy and compassion, lavish with our love and generous with our grace. Christ’s example is one we definitely need holy help to be able to emulate in our lives. Thank you for these thoughtful quotes, lovely song and uplifting words. Blessings, love and hugs! xo ❤
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Thank you, Joy. Yes, His love certainly does overturn all human presumption and expectation! It’s mind-boggling to think of the extreme length He’ll go to reach us, His beloved ones. I’m so glad you were encouraged and uplifted. Blessings, love, and hugs to you, too! May we be given exceptional grace to emulate Jesus’ lavish, outrageous love, mercy, and compassion!
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Amen to those thoughts! xo 😊💜
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❤️ 🙏🏻 🌈
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Dear Trudy,
Wow, what a precious gift from your dear Granddaughter! And I love the way that God led you through such precious thoughts on His reckless and wild love for us. That song is such a gift. Recently, two of my kids shared that same song with me also (without knowing that the other was listening to it also.) And it does remind me of the same message that Rich Mullins shared in his music too. Thank you so much for stirring these precious thoughts again today, dear friend! xoxo
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Yes, it is precious, Bettie. 🙂 I have it hanging on our living room wall to remind us. I had never heard of that song before then. In my quest, I discovered more about Rich Mullins, too. About his short life devoted to God and how God gave him strength to follow Him no matter what opposition he met. I love how two of your kids shared that same song with you. Yes, God truly gave us a gift in that song. And in our kids and grandkids. 🙂 I’m so grateful you were reminded of God’s reckless and wild love for us! I hope and pray you will carry it in your heart as you meet your new doctor tomorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with you! xoxo May we daily be uplifted and strengthened by God’s infinitely deep, unconditional, and self-sacrificing love for us!
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Thank you so much for remembering my Doctor’s appointment tomorrow and for all of your prayers! Yes, I want to keep my heart focused on God, and on His “infinitely deep, unconditional, and self-sacrificing love for us,” as you spoke so beautifully!
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❤️🙏🏼You remain in my thoughts and prayers, Bettie. Hugs!
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As soon as I read the title of your post, I started humming that tune to Cory’s song. I hadn’t known he got so much criticism for using the word ‘reckless.’ Reminds me that Christians can be reckless with their words toward each other and God, but thankfully God is reckless in seeking us out even when we are disobedient!
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Yes, Lynn! “Thankfully God is reckless in seeking us out even when we are disobedient!” We hurt Him again and again and still He keeps loving us with reckless abandon, doesn’t He? May we love others like He loves us, with unselfish and self-sacrificing love!
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Your granddaughter’s painting is beautiful, Trudy! And I love that it drew you to explore this song and the idea of God’s “reckless love” in more detail. I have heard people criticise the use of the word “reckless” but I love Cory Asbury’s explanation of why he used it – it makes perfect sense to me! Love and blessings to you!
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Thank you, Lesley. Cory’s explanation makes sense to me, too! I’m grateful for my granddaughter’s gift and also for how it led me deeper into the love of God for us. No concern for how much it costs to Him. Such a powerful love, isn’t it? Love and blessings to you, too! May we be led deeper and deeper into His incomprehensible love!
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What a beautiful gift to receive your granddaughter’s painting! And I absolutely love that song. It wrecks me everytime I hear it. “So “reckless” that He rescues us again and again no matter how much we hurt Him.” So grateful for his reckless love for us! Have a blessed week, Trudy!
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Thank you, Lisa. It was kind of funny. I first thought she brought her painting to show us. I was handing it back to her, and she said, “No, I made it for YOU.” It was a special surprise. 🙂 I, too, am so grateful for Jesus’ reckless love for us! You have a blessed week, too! May we love more like Jesus!
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Trudy, this song is one of my favorites. I love how you remind me that, though reckless has a negative connotation, sometimes it describes so much more. I love your grand daughter’s painting. What a beautiful reminder of God’s love for us. I’m so thankful that our Father loves us with such reckless abandon.
Sending you hugs and blessings, my friend.
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Thank you, Jeanne. It’s a wonderful song. I’m glad, too that our Father loves us with such reckless abandon. It’s amazing that no matter how much we hurt Him, He still welcomes us with open arms. Sending hugs and blessings to you, too! May we more and more understand the magnitude of His unconditional love!
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This week I was thinking about this song since my blog talks about living Reckless in Christ and I mentioned it in an article. The chord chart to this song gets searched 46,500 a month. We love singing about the reckless love of God but the question is how reckless is our love for Him? He laid down his comfort, protection, glory for us but what do we off we him? Safe, restrained, calm devotion with no chances taken, no wild steps of faith, just a meager nod occasionally.
I read a lot of classic Christian authors and man what reckless faith they had.
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Thank you for sharing this searching reflection, Lee. Yes, how reckless is our love for Him? I’ve questioned myself, too. May we love Him recklessly and live with total abandon to Him!
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