Reckless Love

Album: Reckless Love (2017)
Charted: 103
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Songfacts®:

  • The title track of Bethel Music artist Cory Asbury's debut album, "Reckless Love" finds the worship singer-songwriter praising God for His grace and relentless pursuit of us. Asbury explained the song's meaning to Multitracks:

    "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.'"
  • Cory Asbury explained to during an interview with CBN's Studio 5 how a couple of experiences as a parent served as inspiration for the song.

    "When I held my son for the first time it changed every idea that I had of God," the Bethel Music worship leader said. "I looked into his eyes and was just like, I have a capacity for love that I never thought I could have."

    "Number two was our daughter Lilly, she had a couple of health complications." Asbury added, explaining that his little girl's medical difficulties led him to ask some "difficult questions of God," in which he asked, "What is going on? Why is my daughter almost dying? Are you punishing me? Have I sinned? Have I done something wrong?"

    "And those were some of the false paradigms that I held in my heart," Asbury continued, "and the truth of it is that He actually used the whole thing to confirm to my heart His goodness, His kindness in the midst of all of it."
  • The song climbed to #1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart on March 3, 2018 and spent a whole 18 weeks at the summit. It also was 2018's #1 Christian Airplay Songs title.
  • This won both the Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year Awards at the 2018 GMA Dove Awards.
  • Jo Dee Messina released a cover version of the song to country radio on September 28, 2018. The song's inspiring message about choosing to believe in God's love and what He has planned had an extra poignancy given Messina had been battling cancer. In recording "Reckless Love," the singer showed her illness hadn't deterred her spirit or her faith in the Almighty.
  • Cory Asbury wrote a devotional book, also titled Reckless Love, which was published on January 7, 2020.

Comments: 14

  • Scott from CanadaGod's love is perfect and holy. He is also a jealous God and that is also perfect and holy. It shows all the more how deep that love goes. "Reckless" can mean "careless", which can have the positive connotation of "not concerned or worried about." Jesus showed the jealous side of this love when he cleared the temple, whip in hand, not concerned or worried about the potential consequences. It was motivated by his amazing, indescribable love. This song is much more about worshipping the One gave His own Son to reach sinners than it is about me.
  • Chris Poggi from South CarolinaThis song is all about what God has done for me. It is not a song praising God there is no thank you in it no word of praise i do not like this song. To me it does not send words of great prause but simply using God. Thus it gives a selfish I, I ,I flavor keeling God in the shirt end of worship. It is all about Him not me.
  • Asinnadi Amarachi Grace from NigeriaThis song made me cry and make me feel different. I feel loved and special.

    The song talks about God's unending love and his never failing mercy.

    God bless you sir.
  • Hope For Our Children from GeorgiaI think I understand why the term "reckless" is used. There are some words in the Bible that seem out of context with God's character that I believe he uses to give us an understanding based on our worldly human experiences. The Bible says God is a jealous God and some verses states he hates certain people. He is not jealous in the way we are or hates the way we do. God's jealousy is because we were made to worship Him and not practice idolatry (worshiping the created). As a righteous and loving God, He wants us to have the right relationship with Him so we can have an abundant life. He is really just trying to protect our heart from being hurt and crushed by the things of this world. And how can God who is love and who sent His Son because He loved the whole world so much that He wanted no person to perish be said to hate? Hate is not an emotion for him, but a matter of choosing to disfavor those who choose to turn away from Him. Although at times inexplicable to us, His disfavor is based on His wisdom that is above any human wisdom. Even offspring sometimes can think at times a parent hates them when a parent has to act in their best interest and in that child's limited understanding, the action is seen as hurtful. If we were to pursue someone, say such as a spouse or any loved one for that matter, as God does, we would be viewed as reckless and dysfunctional. We would not have the strength or wisdom to do it appropriately and would probably have a hard time keeping our sanity. That's why sometimes all we can do is to pray, keep an open door to communication, and turn the work of pursuing our lost loved ones over to GOD.
  • Ciara Omoye from Delta StateI Love this Song
  • Vera from Summerside Pei CanadaWhen I sing this song I change the phrase ‘reckless love of God’ to ‘PERFECT LOVE OF GOD ’. That’s the only way I ‘personally’ can feel comfortable singing it. The word ‘reckless’ is an adjective describing the noun love; and although Corey feels comfortable with his understanding of the word, I just don’t because of the way I have always interpreted that word ‘reckless’. I plan on continuing to use the word perfect when I sing that song because I feel that God’s love is perfect just as He is perfect. Other then my feelings for the ‘reckless’ word in that song I think it a great song and I feel that Corey never meant it in a negative way, however I have to go with my conscience.
  • Ecw from UsaI have been a spirit-filled Christian for over 25 years and had no problem understanding this man's heart toward God. The "reckless" part of God's love was stating that He did not consider Himself, as to His own comfort, and gave Himself for us even unto death, knowing we as individuals may possibly never turn to Him. And the "bankrupting" heaven was another metaphor for giving everything He had, which was His Son, His life! I believe the song is like a painting, there are many ways different people will look at it, and not everyone will appreciate it. But what really matters is if it brings someone closer to Jesus, then you know it served it's ultimate purpose. All the glory belongs to God!
    Thank you, Corey, God Bless!
  • Amanda from Nigeria;enuguThis Is soooo spirit lifting....God's love is the greatest.It burst my imagination anytime I listen and meditate on this song..
    it's always on repeat on my phone.
    I tnk u Lord for loving me with such a great love,I bless u Lord.
  • Standfortruth from UsaRECK'LESS, adjective Careless; heedless; mindless (http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/Reckless)

    Corey Asbury: "I'm not saying that God Himself is reckless. I am, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so."
    (implying: God Himself is not reckless but His Love is.)
    The Bible: "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
    (implying: God Himself is Love, and that the very definition of love is God Himself.)
    It seems Corey Asbury's statement has hit a paradox: If God is Love, Gods love is reckless, then God Himself is reckless. If reckless means Carless, heedless and mindless, then the statement would imply that God is Careless, heedless and mindless.

    The purpose of using the actual definition of "reckless" from the dictionary, is to examine the objective meaning of "reckless" (this means the word "reckless" can not be left open to a persons own definition and interpretation, since there is already a definition for "reckless". Otherwise reckless would mean anything to anyone) This holds the persons statement to scrutiny, so that they can not just loosely use the word to their own suiting.

    Matthew 12:36 Amplified Version "But I tell you, on the day of judgment people will have to give an accounting for every careless or useless word they speak." If careless (reckless) words will be accounted for on judgment day, how much more careless (reckless) actions?

    Corey Asbury: "His love bankrupted heaven for you." Bankrupt ADJECTIVE: (of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts. This clearly sounds opposite of what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross.
    Today, when most Christians get their spiritual food from "Christian" music and don't actually read their Bibles, not only are the Christians starving themselves, but they are allowing themselves to be open and vulnerable to potential poison. God wants equip you, so that you can think with Christs mind. So you wont mindlessly receive anything from anyone. God wants to give you eyes to see, so that when there is a clear and dangerous doctrine (teaching) you would be able to spot it, and dissect it rightly. Praise Jesus.
    Corey's salvation is not being questioned here, it is the definitions and doctrine in the music. If he is a worship leader whos music is played in thousands of churches to millions of Christians worldwide, then he is held to a higher standard. It should be your job as a Christian to catch these errors, and depend on the Holy Spirit and not the heart, the word of God and not the feelings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
  • Caleb from NigeriaTruly he climbs mountains coming after me. Even when i hurt him, he just don't care. I just hope that he will catch up with me. LORD I NEED YOU!
  • Claudette from TexasThis song made me go back to God and dedicate my life to Him. I love the song, because it really talked to my heart.
  • Zre from Jersey Why explain what God’s love is by saying what it’s not, when you can just use a word to describe what His love actually is?

    Oh the overwhelming, never ending, (reckless) love of God? Reckless isn’t the character of God, the definition of it has no positive interpretation.

    Why not Sing: Oh the overwhelming, never ending, PERFECT LOVE of GOD?
  • Alice from Nasarawa I love the song
  • Nathan from Fort Wayne, InI love this song.
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