HIS RECKLESS EXTRAVAGANCE

There's a particular song that has been on constant replay on my playlist - "Reckless Love" written by Cory Asbury of Bethel Church. From the moving lyrics that expound on the idea of God's love as reckless, to the well-placed minor chords (I so love minor chords!) weaved throughout the song, this is easily my #1 song of all time - well, at least in this season...lol. Here is my cover of this beautiful song:

So, when you think of the word "Reckless", what comes to mind? I don't know about you but for me, the distant memory of my mom scolding my twin for her recklessness when we were growing up comes to mind (cos I was the perfect child and was never reckless nor was I ever scolded...lol). According to the dictionary, the word "Reckless" is synonymous with a lack of proper caution; careless of consequences; a sort of reckless extravagance and abandonment. With these synonyms in mind, doesn't it seem almost scary that any love would be characterized as reckless? I mean, as humans, we don't usually have the boldness to love in such a manner. As much as we love someone in a relationship, whether a friendship or a marriage, there seems to be a bit of caution, no matter how small, that keeps up from potentially exposing ourselves to hurt. It's a protective mechanism of sorts. At least, for me it is.

And yet, we see this Reckless Love in action in Jesus, who demonstrated His love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). This is the greatest romance ever written - "For God so loved the world (you) that He gave Himself (through His only begotten son), that whosever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life" (John 3:16, paraphrased). Yes, I know you know that Jesus loves you. I mean, if you grew up in a Christian household, you've heard that refrain over and over again, to a point that it almost seems cliché. You know in your head that He loves you; but do you really KNOW His love for you? Have you been able to fully grasp it? Jesus loved us without caution, with reckless extravagance - He stripped off His Royalty and stepped down into our humanity - think about that; Because of love, because of the joy set before Him - our salvation, He endured the Cross and scorned it's shame (Hebrews 12:2). Our best attempts at unconditional love fall short in comparison to God's amazing love; our finite minds cannot fully grasp the depth, the height, the width and the length of God's love for us - not without Him giving us a deep revelation of this Love. Therefore, we must seek Him if we want to know Love. God is the very definition of Love (1 John 4:8), and in order to understand this love, we must seek Him. That way, we will be able to receive His love, and love Him in turn - we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). And when we keep growing in our understanding of His love, we will be able to love others as well, thus fulfilling His command to love God AND love others (Matthew 22:37-40). I pray that God will increase you capacity to receive His love for you, in Jesus' name! 

The Bridge of this song is my favorite part:

"There's no shadow You won't light up, mountain You won't climb up, coming after me; There's no wall You won't kick down, lie You won't tear down, coming after me". - Cory Asbury, Reckless Love

Wow! So powerful right? And laced with so much truth! Cory Asbury, writer of this song, really got a glimpse into the powerful love of God when he penned these words:

• There's no Shadow He won't light up: There's no darkness too thick that the light of God's love can't pierce through! In your darkest hour, draw near to God confidently, boldly, trusting His love for you. He has given you access to His presence, and in the light of His presence, darkness is dispelled! 
• There's no Mountain He won't climb up: God did (and still does) all He could to reach us, to draw us to Himself. The Cross...that was no small thing, and we must be careful not to trample on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through unbelief. He went through great lengths to rescue us from the grip of the evil one, and enabled us gain access to Father.  He so loved us! He so loves you! (John 3:16). When we realize the depth of our hopelessness without Jesus, our reasonable response is to love Him, for those who have been forgiven much, love much (Luke 7:47). 
• There's no wall He won't kick down: He conquered hell and the grave for you and for me. The plan for our salvation, despite Satan's best attempt to thwart it, was successful, even before it began. The wall of separation that kept us from Father was once and for all destroyed with Jesus' death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave. With this in mind, be confident that any wall in your life the enemy is using to keep you from the promises of God has already been torn down in Jesus' name! Surrender to Jesus, surrender to Love, and watch Him fight every one of your battles.
• There's no lie He won't tear down: What lie has the enemy whispered to you recently? I feel like our identity in Christ is one truth that is constantly under attack by the enemy. Remember when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness? Satan always prefaced his sentence with, "IF You are the Son of God...turn these stones into bread; throw Yourself down...;" (Matthew 4:3-10). This IF seems to have been thrown there in question of Jesus' identity. Jesus was fully aware of who He was though, and thus was not fazed, neither did He feel the need to try and prove His identity. In the same way, we must stand up against the lies of the enemy through the Word of God; The enemy whispers to you, "You are nothing, a nobody", and you declare back according to the Word of God, "I am a royalty, I am chosen (1 Peter 2:9), I've been bought at a price (I Corinthians 7:23)...". The enemy whispers again, "You will not live, you will die", and you declare back, "I will not die; instead I will live to tell what the Lord had done" (Psalm 118:17). In order to do this, we have to be able to know the truth - and to know the Truth, we must be well-versed in the Word of God. This is our weapon guys, and it might sound pretty redundant, but it cannot be said enough, we must know the Word of God. It is imperative in this season. Spend time in the Word, ask Holy Spirit to teach you, to give you wisdom and revelation as you study His Word. 

Remember, you are loved! I know the things we go through sometimes in this life tends to have us believe otherwise but this is an important truth you must get deep down in your heart: "I am loved, I am chosen, I've been set apart, God loves me with reckless abandon!". With this deep heart-revelation of His love for us, we can't but trust Him with our lives, laying aside the sin that so easily besets us. Indeed, it is His love that draws us to repentance. 

He wants to love you; Let Him! Allow His love permeate through your being, and into your heart. Before long, you'll begin to see your love for others grow, till it reaches a place of reckless extravagance. 

"Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God; Oh It chases me down, fights till I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine; I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still You gave Yourself away; Oh the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God". - Cory Asbury, Reckless Love