I picked this pharse from Ed Mccully (one of the five missionaries along with Jim Elliot who died in Ecuador trying to reach a primitive tribe with the Gospel). “I have one desire now - to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it,” Ed Mccully wrote in a letter to Jim Elliot. Ed McCully was president of his senior class at Wheaton and won the National Hearst Oratorical Contest in San Francisco in 1949. He wrote this when he gave up his seat in Marquette University Law School and went into ministry. I tried to pick out a similar phrase or a life lived in similar fashion from the Bible and needless to say I bumped into the man Paul. Reckless abandon for God - the phrase neatly summed up his life after conversion. Paul writes in his journal (Acts 20:24) "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me". This breed of men lived a life of reckless abandon for God because their life had no value to them. God's will was more important. Paul's t-shirt line was their life-motto - For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Their thoughts were soaked in it. Their actions showed it. Their life spoke it.
What courage it must have taken to write something like that. A life of reckless abandon would mean that God could use you however he wanted. John the Baptist was the best preacher in town but his 'ministry' lasted for a very short time and some of it was in the jail. Paul wanted to preach to the Jews, but he was sent to the Gentiles. Philip was doing a wonderful job in Samaria while he was sent to the desert road. Stephen, "a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people", was asked to take care of the distribution of food. Moses, at the prime of his life was sent to tend sheep. This is reckless abandon. Can God ask us young people to go do the thankless job of tract distribution while our guitar skills & swanky english lay useless in our skillset bag? Can he trust us with food distribution when we want to preach? Can he trust us with embarrassment when we are looking for signs and wonders. Can he trust us in faithful prayer when we are trying to fill our schedule with events. God is not looking for heroics rather humble surrender. He is not looking for accomplishments rather abandon.
Oh Lord invade my compromised life. Let my thoughts of heroics turn to humble surrender. Let my ambitions turn to abandon. Let me die so that Christ would live in me.
What courage it must have taken to write something like that. A life of reckless abandon would mean that God could use you however he wanted. John the Baptist was the best preacher in town but his 'ministry' lasted for a very short time and some of it was in the jail. Paul wanted to preach to the Jews, but he was sent to the Gentiles. Philip was doing a wonderful job in Samaria while he was sent to the desert road. Stephen, "a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people", was asked to take care of the distribution of food. Moses, at the prime of his life was sent to tend sheep. This is reckless abandon. Can God ask us young people to go do the thankless job of tract distribution while our guitar skills & swanky english lay useless in our skillset bag? Can he trust us with food distribution when we want to preach? Can he trust us with embarrassment when we are looking for signs and wonders. Can he trust us in faithful prayer when we are trying to fill our schedule with events. God is not looking for heroics rather humble surrender. He is not looking for accomplishments rather abandon.
Oh Lord invade my compromised life. Let my thoughts of heroics turn to humble surrender. Let my ambitions turn to abandon. Let me die so that Christ would live in me.
1 comment:
Hey!I landed on your blog when I was searching for something else..but Man!I must say you're posts are just amazing,and I was simply wowed by the post titled 'Reckless Abandon'....Can God ask us young people to go do the thankless job of tract distribution while our guitar skills & swanky english lay useless in our skillset bag?...It's a pretty tough one and really got me thinking hard....Keep writing for Him!
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