Be Careful. Be Reckless.

The other day we were telling someone about our Thanksgiving Grocery Giveaway.

The lady responded, “Wow, that’s cool! You be careful though. You really gotta check people out and make sure they need it before you give them something. People will try to take advantage of you—so don’t give them anything!”

Both Shari and I thought the same thing: No way! We’re givers, not investigators. Of course someone will take advantage of us. No biggie! Others who have genuine needs will also come and be blessed.

We are often “careful” with our kindness toward others—while at the same time being “reckless” in giving grace to ourselves.

We need to flip that around.

We should be reckless in giving grace towards others, and we should be careful with ourselves.

Jesus told a parable about a farmer sowing seed, and that seed landing on 4 different types of soil…

The footpath, the rocky ground, among weeds, and fertile soil.

An easy application of this parable is personal: be good ground—be fertile soil.

In other words, you be careful to receive and respond to what has been graciously given to you.

Another takeaway from this parable is that we should sow INDISCRIMINATELY, even RECKLESSLY.

That’s what the farmer did. His seed was thrown on ALL types of ground.

He didn’t pre-judge. Nope. He sowed his seed—hoping that something good would come of it.

Our job isn’t to be investigators or judges, deciding who has potential and who doesn’t.

Our job is to love, serve, give, bless… to be reckless in giving grace to others.

Our job is to sow good seed indiscriminately, hoping that something good will come of it.

As far as our own lives are concerned: Be careful. Be good ground.

When it comes to others: Be reckless. Give huge amounts of grace. Hope for the best, and don’t worry about it.