I Am Infinitely Superfluous

My lengthy absence from this blog is called "Kaleo." What a wonderful and wild ride we have had these past few weeks: bungy jumping and a full-out Kaleo Christmas and even classes and assignments! But now students are at home, and so am I, and after a long nap this afternoon I think my head is clear enough to write again.

I have encouraged a number of people in the past while to pick up C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia again (or for the first time), and I hope you will too. If you haven't read any of these recently, your theological education is incomplete! Here is a great quote from the brain-stunning conclusion to the second of his other fictional series, which you should also read (but not to your children):

He has no need at all of anything that is made. An eldil is not more needful to Him than a grain of dust: a peopled world no more needful than a world that is empty: but all needless alike, and what all add to Him is nothing. We also have no need of anything that is made. Love me, my brothers, for I am infinitely superfluous, and your love shall be like His, born neither of your need nor of deserving, but a plain bounty. Blessed be He! (from Perelandra)

A.W. Tozer says something similar in Knowledge of the Holy:

The picture of a nervous, ingratiating God fawning over men to win their favor is not a pleasant one; yet if we look at the popular conception of God that is precisely what we see. Twentieth century Christianity has put God on charity. So lofty is our opinion of ourselves that we find it quite easy, not to say enjoyable, to believe that we are necessary to God. But the truth is that God is not greater for our being, nor would He be less if we did not exist. That we do exist is altogether of God’s free determination, not by our desert nor by divine necessity.

How humbling to us as his creatures! Although he takes delight in us, his delight would be no less if we did not exist! His love is all for our benefit - pure in its motivation and untainted by any desire for personal gain. By his grace we bring him glory and praise, but it is not because he is need of an appreciative audience. He simply wants us to enjoy him forever.

When we “call on the name of the Lord,” it is out of necessity and need and utter dependence. But when God calls us, it is out of generosity, kindness and grace. He calls us, not because we are qualified or because he needs us, but out of pure benevolence and extravagance. He is like the master woodworker inviting into his shop the little child who poked his head in the door out of curiosity. He could get more done without him, but out of love and compassion he teaches and encourages the child to do what he has been doing. He is glad for the child's quick "thank you" as he runs off for lunch, but would not demand it for the world.

It’s something I have to constantly keep in mind, both to avoid prideful comparison of my ministry to others, and to keep from trying to bear everything on my own.

So think of what Jesus means by this: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Isn't that astounding? That God, whose love for us is so pure that it ignores what we deserve and has no thought of personal gain, would command us to love like him! No wonder he chided his disciples for thinking well of themselves when they loved their friends but not their enemies.

This is his call on us: To do no less than what he is doing in this world, reserving all of our "need-love" for him alone. That is, to so trust in him for all that we need that we would look for it from no one else. To so obey his new command that we would not flinch at extending love to the most undeserving wretch. As Mother Teresa said, "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."

The understanding that we are "infinitely superfluous" to God can lead to one of only two responses: to lose interest in his work and play with wood shavings in the corner, or to aspire to become like him and do what he is doing.

The Bottom Line

Kaleo just finished a 24/7 Week of Prayer, which was wonderful. The evidence of God at work through our prayers was tangible - you could almost taste it in the room as we met for chapels each day. Why is prayer possible, and why is it so wonderful?

Paul, speaking of God's eternal purposes accomplished in Jesus, writes this: "In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." Hmmm. Imagine that God is a bank manager, and we find him rather intimidating. However, we really, really want to buy one of these babies:


It's a Lamborghini LP640 Coupe, and it sells for a mere $1.5 million if we don't go for too many extras. The problem is, our wallet contains only $1.34 and an expired bus transfer. Thus the need for the visit to the bank manager.

He listens politely to our reasons for needing a loan for $1,499,996.66 dollars, asks a few pointed questions, and then begins to laugh. Quietly at first, just a friendly chuckle, but as we just stand there expectantly his laughter becomes unpleasant, loud and shared by all his fellow bank managers. As he prepares to shoo us out of his office, we grab his attention long enough to say, "By the way, failed to introduce myself. The name's Gates, Bill Junior, and my dad is on his way to co-sign the loan this afternoon."

The laughter dies, identification is demanded, and suddenly attitudes change. We find ourselves back in his office, cappuccino at our elbow and pastries on a side table. The loan is approved, dad signs the bottom line, and we are burning up the Malahat by 3:00 PM in our brand new Lamborghini LP640 Coupe. (Don't ask me why Bill Gates' son would need a loan - it messes up my analogy.)

The point is, how did that happen? Were they impressed by the photo on our driver's license? Decided that we weren't such a bad guy? Decided to trust us in spite of our wallet's poverty? No, Dad signed the bottom line. His name, not ours, is the reason we got the loan.

When we pray in Jesus' name, it is like he signs the bottom line.

Think for a moment what this means. First, the sky is too small a limit. When God was creating the world we live in, he did it with words. "Let there be light!" and there was light. Stars detonated and galaxies swirled at the sound of his voice. He spoke things into being.

So can we, in Jesus' name. Things that would not be, are - because my mother prayed and spoke my character, my choices, my direction in life into being. In Jesus' name. I dare not think of where I would be right now apart from that. What an astounding lot of power God places in our hands!

Second, we can be sure that we will receive what we ask, because we cannot ask outside the will of God when we genuinely ask in Jesus' name. Let's say that instead of the Lamborghini we want to borrow $1.5 million to develop biological weapons to feed to our neighbor's cat, which drives us crazy with its caterwauling every night. Dad is going to raise some tough questions and in the end he simply won't sign. If we know him well, we aren't even going to ask for things like that. His name represents his nature, his values, his truth. Everything we ask for in Jesus' name must line up with who he is.

Finally, we are assured that God's answer to our prayers can be trusted. Bill knows that in spite of your Lamborghini fetish, what you really need is the Koenigsegg CCXR. Which, of course, is what you will get, and find that he is perfectly right. In Jesus' name is found that perfect peace that transcends our understanding and guards our hearts and minds. It is that secret of contentment by which Paul said he could do all things. It is wonderful beyond words.

Bring on the cappuccino and pastries.