You only live once
We often are told that we have only one life to live. We must squeeze every drop from every moment, because this is all we have: this fleeting moment, this short life, this unique opportunity to taste, touch, smell, see and hear all that this mysterious world has to offer. We are told we must clutch on to each day and every treasure because time and resources are slipping through our fingers.
It can sound inspiring when we have plenty of drive and energy, but it is essentially an atheistic or pagan view of human life. We were not designed to live life as if we have so little of it, but to share in the infinite riches of the divine nature of the Godhead. We are eternal creatures, formed to possess all things in Jesus and to spend the divine riches forever and ever.
If we think of our time and resources as so limited, slipping away or too precious to spend, then we may easily fall into the trap of trying to hoard up our life and possessions.
Yet, our heavenly Father is the infinite fountain of divine life.
The infinite fountain of divine life
Revelation 4 shows us what is going on at the very highest level of reality. An explosion of life, goodness, resources and reality flows out to us, forever and ever. The emerald rainbow is the uncreated light, refracted through the cascading river of life. And a voice of many waters reassures us that there is no end to our daily bread.
From even a single fish sandwich, thousands can be fed (Matthew 14:13–21). So we do not need to grasp on to what we have. The infinite generosity of the Father liberates us to give with lavish generosity and reckless abandon. Yes, we plan for tomorrow, but we plan with the deep conviction that with this living God there is always more than we can ask or imagine.
In our earthly limitations, we are always accounting and measuring, because all we have seems so limited. That is how life appears to be when we are cut off from the generous river of divine life.
God’s infinitude belongs to us
In The Knowledge of the Holy, one of his most famous books, A. W. Tozer takes us into a deep meditation of this overflowing, generous life of God:
"God’s infinitude belongs to us and is made known to us for our everlasting profit. Because God’s nature is infinite, everything that flows out of it is infinite also.
We poor human creatures are constantly being frustrated by limitations imposed upon us from without and within. The days of the years of our lives are few, and swifter than a weaver’s shuttle.
How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none. For Him time does not pass, it remains; and those who are in Christ share with Him all the riches of limitless time and endless years.
For those outside of Christ, time is a devouring beast; before the sons of the new creation time crouches and purrs and licks their hands.
The Christian possesses God’s own life and shares His infinitude with Him.
In God there is life enough for all and time enough to enjoy it".
Heavenly and worldly wisdom
We take care to use wisely what the Father has given to us through Jesus in the power of the Spirit. Yes, but our stewardship is utterly different to the way the pagan might do this. For them, treasure on earth is limited and has to be won from the earth through blood, sweat and tears.
The bride of the Lord Jesus knows that she sits with him on the throne of the universe.
The grasping accountancy of this passing age is foolishness to those who possess Jesus Christ. The worldly wisdom that tries to hoard up treasure that cannot be kept is laughable to the heavenly wisdom that uses these passing treasures to invest in people that last forever.
1 Corinthians 3:20–23 says, ‘“The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.” ... For everything belongs to you— whether … the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.’
Revolutionary prayer
We always begin our prayers by focusing on our Father in heaven, seated on the throne, from which the infinite river of life flows. Praying with this sense that everything belongs to us is revolutionary. There is always far more than we need in the throne of heaven. The real wisdom is to know what we truly need and, most importantly, what ‘our neighbours’ need.
There is no limit to what we can receive and give when we are giving out all that the Father gives to us. When we are trying to hoard up what the Father gives to us, there is very little we can receive or give.
Praise God that his ‘infinitude’ belongs to us!
Coming Soon
The Generosity of the Son - Part 2
The Generosity of the Spirit - Part 3
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Paul Blackham
Paul Blackham has been preaching since the age of 14 and has a PhD in systematic theology from Kings College London. He has ministered at several churches, including All Souls Church, Langham Place in central London, and is currently a Church Planter at Soul Church, Neath. He is also author of the Book by Book Bible study DVD series.
