Good morning, Five Minute Families. Do you follow Christ with reckless abandon? What does that even mean? Are we suggesting you become religious fanatics? Nope. What does reckless abandon for Christ looks like in the family setting?

First, let’s define our terms. Reckless means ‘without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action.’ So, if we say that a person is reckless, we are saying they do not care that their behavior may have a dangerous or negative effect on someone. Abandon as a noun means a ‘complete lack of inhibition or restraint.’ If a person behaves with abandon, they have no inhibitions or restraint, which can be negative or positive. Combined, however, the phrase ‘reckless abandon’ – generally – leaves a much more positive impression. It is an idiom that the Free Dictionary defines as ‘to behave “with unrestrained impulsiveness, enthusiasm, or zeal.” Reckless abandon for our purposes is defined as “going into something wholeheartedly and with no concern for danger.”

Reckless abandon in following Christ is not a new concept. Spiritual giants such Oswald Chambers and Elisabeth Elliot spoke about reckless abandon. Oswald says that when “God comes… you must be determined to recklessly abandon yourself.” Elisabeth Elliot said it this way, “I have one desire now – to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”

So, with that positive perspective in mind, let’s talk about how a family – your whole family –  can follow Christ with reckless abandon.

1. Five-minute families must choose to exercise discipline in the spiritual practices. We have discussed these at length before, but for illustration purposes, here are two examples… Choose church attendance over not pushing yourselves (and the kiddos up and out the door). Now, that isn’t about LEGALISM! And, for the second example, begin praying together and separately for one another. Have a plan for each member of the family; the internet abounds with prayer plans you can download.
2. If your family can, begin weekly and then transition to daily devotionals together. If that seems too daunting, five-minute parents, begin by sharing pertinent Scripture with your kids as you go about your day. When a toddler whines about cleaning their toys out of the living room, ask why do we clean up our home? And, then give the answer as 1 Corinthians 14:40 “But all things must be done properly and in an orderly way.) When your preteens are picking on one another… Why are we kind? – Matthew 7:12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” When your teenager begins yelling, why do we learn to control our tempers? – Proverbs 16:32 “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city”
3. STOP COMPARING YOURSELVES TO OTHER FAMILIES. This one is hard. A friend from our old church recently passed away. Her family was ‘all in’ for God. Her husband was a pastor, her son was a missionary, she taught amazing Bible lessons to the women of the church. Her family supported widows and orphans; she and her husband adopted three children. She was kind; she was always involved in church no matter how sick she got with an ongoing illness. She began homeschooling and then homesteading a little bit, she spoke of her parents with tender affection, she was well-liked, well-respected, and simply a joy to be around. I could go on, but the point is, I am not her. Jim is not her husband. Our boys are not her children. Our family is different than theirs. We cannot compare what God has allowed us to experience, learn, and be called into by what God is showing and doing in other families.
4. Recognize and embrace the differences in your family members. We ourselves have such distinctions from each other. Many families will refer to someone in the family as the “black sheep” (by the way, that is not racially related, it is because of the rarity of black wool on a sheep). No matter what you call the differences among you, do not measure yourselves against each other.
5. Remind yourself and your family often… Everything is always all about God. Colossians 3:11 ends in these six words, “Christ is all and in all.” We must look at him and not what is happening around us.

Look to God and not to the circumstances threatening to tear us apart. Don’t look at past mistakes you’ve made. Trust that God knew all of that would happen, and He does have a plan and purpose. If you are older without children in the home and you wonder how badly your mistakes have messed up your kids, STOP. Trust God. Share openly. In sincere, unconditional love share the truth of God’s ways. Live a life of reckless abandon NOW. Be blessed!