Sneak Peak Chapter: RECKLESS

   There's this homeless man I drive by everyday. He holds his sign and displays his change cup, hoping for someone to roll down their window and hold out their hand. Everyday, I do the same thing. Stop at the stop sign. Keep my eyes straight ahead. Tap my foot eagerly. And hit the gas as soon as traffic moves.

     I would like to say that I felt moved to give this man some change, but in my heart, I could hear God asking for more than just my money. I would like to say I listened to HIS voice. I would like to say that I changed this mans life, but the truth is that the opportunity passed me by.

      What God asked of me made me feel foolish. "Go, tell this man that Jesus loves him."

I wrestled with the cliche statement, feeling my cheeks burn like fire. "God, you know how silly I would sound telling this man that 'Jesus loves Him,' when I don't even have spare change. Why would he listen when I'm not even giving?"

     See, I always had a problem with Christians who tell needy people about God, yet do nothing to help them with their burdens. However, this moment, changed my opinion on how I secretly judged so many others. My heart opened to the fact that I was withholding the greatest gift we can give: hope.

Honestly, I would love to say I stopped and said these words, but I was tested and failed. This Created in me a new sense of what helping someone truly means, but it first required me to lay down my own agenda and give up how foolish I may look. It inspired in me, that I should be completely reckless for Jesus.

We all live reckless lives. We go day in and day out, making decisions without even thinking about what it might bring tomorrow. Without Jesus, a reckless life is just that. It brings with it unwanted drama, heartaches, and pain. When we don't think our decisions through, we aren't preparing for our tomorrow's, we are living in the pleasures of today. Yet, being reckless is a quality that can be used by God.

Reckless is a word that carries so many negative connotations--even the definition--shows why people are offended when called it. But this isn't the first time God has redefined something that the world took and tried to make nasty.  I want to be reckless for Jesus. In fact, I hope we all do.

     When he spoke to me, I overthought it. I tried to tell myself it would push this man away from Christianity, not closer to it. I remember a time I used to be zealous for God, I would speak about him no matter where I went or who it was to. I would go into a pack of wolves and get them to follow the Shepherd. That was when I was reckless.

     Unfortunately, We start caring too much about what people think. We recognize that we aren't any longer trying to fit a world mold, yet we try to fit a Christian mold. We were never meant to fit either, we were meant to fit into the mold of Jesus. The man who kicked it with the outcast. The man who healed on the Holy Day. The man who taught scripture in the streets. The man who recklessly gave his life for all of us. He wasn't thinking about the consequences, instead, he was immediately reacting in faith, thinking about us.

     We should want to be reckless for Jesus, because he was reckless when he died on the cross for you and I.