all

All is such an amazing word. In the Bible I read that God is over all, through all, and in all, and that there is one Christ who is all, and is in all. God didn’t shower us with gifts or with parts of himself. He gave himself, his all, his everything. How in the world have we gone so long with “returning a portion of that which God has so richly blessed us with”? God forgive us. Seriously. God forgive us. God make peace with us. God reconcile us to yourself. Take all of us back, not just the presentable parts, not the parts we’ll let go of, but the parts we’ll keep.

This is such a beautiful thought—“that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.” God is not on a crusade, not confronting people to make a personal decision. Without anyone’s approval God is reconciling the world to himself, doing away with whatever has caused separation. I didn’t decide it, but what could my objection be? Why would I push Him away? And once reconciled how could I possibly use this to divide others or push anyone else away? Or maybe worse, how could I not see the good in giving all of me? How can I continue to resist Him by holding back from Him or from the world? Christ is all and is in all. Am I?

Another amazing thing I read in the Bible, and that makes me think God really was serious about reconciling and filling all, is when he said that not only were all things His but that all things are ours, too. Some people were arguing about who’s business was whose, and where the lines of authority should be drawn, but Paul bellowed, “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Peter or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.” That amazes me. Not only is the world God’s but it’s ours. Life and death are ours, and the present and the future. Kind of makes “none of your business” sound retarded. Kind of makes “that’s what you get” and “I told you so” sound irresponsible.

All that I have and all that I am belongs to God and is in God. My heart is God's, only God's, which is to say my heart is everyone’s and everything’s, and theirs is mine. All. How can I possibly try to rebuild barriers that God is removing?

Wow. What kind of love gives all? And what kind of love receives all?