There is a lot of room in our hearts
I have been thinking about two bedrooms in my home that sit empty. They are nice bedrooms. One is a master bedroom with a large walk in closet and the other is smaller, but very nice too. The other day it occurred to me that they were
“wasted space.”
I have never really thought about these rooms like that before. It was just something I owned. For some reason, though, it struck me that there is a lot of “wasted space” in my life.
I thought to myself,
“Wow, there are people out in the world, fellow Christians and unbelievers alike, that have no home or are living in terrible situations to whom my wasted space would mean the world.”
I wondered why many people, like me, have so much wasted space in their lives. Why do we have three car garages when only two adults live in the home? Why do we have boats and motor homes, sitting idle except for the occasional use? Some even have so much stuff that they rent storage space.
Here is a truth,
“Wasted space in the natural world is a manifestation of the wasted space in our hearts.”
We all have excess capacity in our hearts to love one another that we never use. Like my unused rooms, it sits there idle and empty because we dare not share it with others. Though we have the capacity to do so much more, we horde because we fear to open up to others.
Jesus says,
“Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”
Luke 6:30,31
Jesus always had enough. I believe that is because Jesus loved fully, sharing everything with anyone, because there was not any wasted space in His heart. Thus, to our Lord, it seemed natural to give to every man all that he had.
Admittedly, I don’t even understand Christ’s mentality. I am standing on my spiritual tippy-toes, trying to glimpse what Jesus meant. I admit that I struggle to imagine such generosity borne of complete and utter security in God.
The root cause of wasted space
Fear, insecurity, and pride is the root cause of wasted space. We fear not having enough. We are insecure that, if we do not make sure that we have more than enough, God might not meet our daily needs. Pride makes us want to acquire things in order to appear “blessed.”
Within the Christian church there are billions of dollars of wasted space. Some christian believers literally sleep in their cars or homeless shelters while multi million dollar sanctuaries stand empty much of the week. It is funny that they are called sanctuaries while night watchmen stand guard to keep people out. This is but another manifestation of wasted space in the natural realm that reflects the wasted space in our hearts.
Divine Love causes us to have all things in common
Having all things in common, which is the antidote for wasted space, took place once in church history because the condition to have all things in common was present: Divine Love. When God filled the first century believers with His nature, which is Divine Love, there was no more wasted space in their hearts and therefore no wasted space in their lives. For a brief, glorious moment, the body of Christ functioned as God intended and it liberated so much wealth and prosperity that no one lacked and the work of God was more than provided for. IGod says,
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”
Acts 4:32-35
When you have more than enough love, you give freely of everything you have
The first churches amazing outpouring of generosity was simply the outflow of Divine Love . Suddenly, in the light of God’s presence in each other, priorities changed, insecurities vanished, and everyone suddenly had more than enough. What had been lacking only a short time before suddenly became abundance.
I can see, just barely, that we already possess everything the body of Christ needs. There are vast resources locked up within the hearts of God’s people just waiting to be released by the Love of God. I tell you, there will come a day when we shall again have all things in common. When we experience the Divine Love or God flowing through each other, there will be no more wasted space in our hearts.