The Extravagance of God

Have you ever praised God for his extravagance—his willingness to grant blessings far beyond what we deserve? "God loves a cheerful giver" because he is one himself. He's the God who gives the second mile—filling nature, the church, and our individual lives with unexpected abundance.

If only one seashell ever had been discovered, collectors would treat it like a precious gem. They'd lock it in a glass case and display it for visitors to admire. But God sprinkles the seashores with so many clams, conches, and starfish, a person strolling along the beach may hardly notice them at all.

If only one grove of trees grew anywhere in the world, we'd marvel at the strength and symmetry of trunks and roots, limbs and leaves. But God blankets mountains with firs and pines, dots coastlines with palms, cools backyards with maples, and caresses lakes with willows—and we hardly notice.

If only one star glimmered in the night sky, we'd stare at it, study it, and probably write songs about it. But God created enormous constellations to brighten the darkness—so many stars, we hardly notice.

If God wanted, he could have made a drab, bland, colorless world—all black and white with shades of gray. He could have created only one variety of fruit or flower or fish, one kind of animal, one style of taste or sound or smell. But from rosebuds to peacocks' tails, from fresh-plowed soil to the gold-paved streets of Heaven, God dazzles and delights our eyes with the extravagance of color and tantalizes our senses with variety.

He not only gave Noah a sign of his covenant promise; he did it with flair, painting a rainbow across the sky. He didn't just give the Israelites manna to eat; he made it honey-flavored. He didn't just provide Solomon ordinary lumber to build the temple, but fragrant cedar logs that filled the house of worship with their aroma.

The Lord didn't feed the multitude a nibble of fish and bread; everyone ate until satisfied, and a dozen basketsful remained. He didn't just forgive our sins; he "lavished" his grace on us (Ephesians 1:7, 8). He doesn't just answer prayer; he does it "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us" (Ephesians 3:20).

God could have created every person exactly the same. But instead he gave each of us designer genes so we'd leave our own unique fingerprints and faithprints on everything we touch. He created visionary leaders who help us dream, funny characters who help us laugh, serious thinkers who help us discern, gentle calmers who help us feel secure.

When Jesus lived on earth in his physical body, those around him saw the ideal Personality fleshed out among them—sinless, balanced, complete. Today the Lord reveals his glory—and his extravagance—through varied personalities and gifts found throughout his spiritual body, the church. He could have made every Christian exactly the same. Religious robots. Spiritual clones. But instead he made some of us "eyes," and others "ears" and "hands" and "feet."

He shaped us into a glorious body, diverse in gifts but united in purpose. And every member—every Christian—plays a vital part in the beauty God intended.

I sure hope we notice.