*Dan is away for a summer sabbatical – a time of rest, rejuvenation and reverence. Please enjoy one of our favorite Friday Fragments. This Fragment was initially published on May 29, 2015.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a)
Managing finite resources is a daily challenge for each of us. We work to match income and expenses in a way that reflects the reality of our personal situation, as well as our commitment to eternal perspectives. We steward what we do not own. We protect what we don’t want to lose.
National platforms have been erected for voices like Dave Ramsey who consistently speak of debt-free living, and retirement planning. Credit is the evil taskmaster, and freedom is found once we untangle our personal lives from the bondage of red ink.
I buy this. Seriously, I think there’s a tremendous amount of truth and wisdom in this philosophy of living… unless it overflows into our soul in such a way that it clouds a central message of Jesus. Austerity and prudence with material goods is not a pattern for us in how we love others. Finite resources don’t define our capacity to love.
God lavished His love on us. He opened the door to the vault. He invested His most valuable asset… His Son. And we mocked Him, we abused Him, we squandered Him.
God didn’t balance the budget when it came to love. He spent without a transactional expectation.
If love is limited, then we pick our favorites; we target our affection. We appropriately work to decide who is “on our list” and who is not.
But Jesus has seen the storehouse of God’s love; He’s not concerned about limited capacity. Understanding the wealth of His Father’s love, Jesus says outrageous things like, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:43-44)
Generosity with love expands the square footage in the storehouse of our soul.
Stingy with love, our Balance Sheet shrinks. Selfish in our embrace, we extinguish the embers that keep our heart and soul warm and soft.
God lavished. Jesus was extravagant. They loved without limit. They invested without constraint.
Their pattern is our guide.
Keep your finances balanced but love from a bank account that never runs dry.
By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News. Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. (Ephesians 3: 7-8)
Endless treasures. Infinite love. Go on a spending spree… for a lifetime.
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