From the out-of-print book Too Much: The Filled to Overflowing Experience by William Booth-Clibborn. Used by permission.
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Too Much: The Filled to Overflowing Experience3. The Extra In Things Natural
"Doth not even nature itself teach you"
-- I Corinthians 11:14.
Let me convert you to this truth by giving you plenty of proofs, by showing you the law of the "too much" at work in the natural order of things.
Look at Your Children
We have already touched on the fact of the exuberant life of youth and its
consequent achievements, but let me repeat that no child is considered healthy
unless he has a super-abundance of vitality. Children may be boisterous, noisy,
full of pranks and ingenuity, but it is only an expression of that surplus of
natural life. Our business as parents is to guide this excess of energy into
right channels by teaching the children muscle developing games and body
exercises, and lead them on jaunts and adventuresome trips across the country.
If we continually rail at them with our "Don't! Don't! DON'T!" all day, cuff
their ears and beat their heads, as is often done, we get nowhere with them.
They think we are not enterprising, just wishing to show our authority. Perhaps
we really are unwilling to sympathetically stoop to their level. That is
entirely a wrong procedure.
One day I returned home after a seven-months' absence from my children. First
of all we went blackberry picking. When we had enough of that, I blew up the
football, and we all kicked it high and wide. Then I made a butterfly net. You
would have been horrified to see a dignified preacher dashing about, stumbling
and sprawling all over the place in his effort to net some wily Red Admiral or
a couple of Swallowtails.
Next, we went hiking all over the woods, making paths and building
bridges. The way the children entered into it made it a double pleasure for me.
I was exhausted but they had plenty of go left in them at the end of the
day.
Two Little Terrors
Here is another illustration:
I was once invited to tea by a nervous, fussy and talkative English lady. As I
opened the door, Jack, her boy, was standing on his head in the corridor, his
big feet up in the air. He righted himself in a hurry, and blinked at me. "How
do you do, Uncle," he said, "want to see me climb the stairs on my head?" Up
went his legs again, and he actually started to perform a feat of which I never
could boast! I watched him with interest and admiration. His sister Mary was
sitting on top of the stairs, shouting advice between peals of laughter. He
reached the fourth step; doubled up like a jack-knife, and tumbled down. Mary
laughed so long and heartily that she lost her balance, and came tumbling down
the whole flight, landing on top of him.
A side door burst open and in came my hostess. The two little pieces of
humanity unscrambled, and shot through the door in one dash. Profuse with
apologies, calling those two little scamps of hers, "perfect terrors," throwing
her hands up in the air in disgust that this should have been my welcome, she
sat me down to a dainty table -- to a lot of transparent sandwiches and started
to pour out the tea into tiny cups, talking the meantime about those dreadful
children of hers. She never had peace night or day. No rest, they just ran her
ragged from one thing to another. I was not listening. My attention was
elsewhere. A pair of inverted shoes passed across the window pane. And Mary was
tantalizing him, pushing him over and screaming with laughter. Spring had its
brightest colors on. I was tempted to bolt and join them. My hostess followed
my eyes, opened the window and scolded them thoroughly. She finally sat
down, and pantingly asked what she should do with such children. I told her I
saw nothing wrong with them. I asked her whether she would rather have
them confirmed invalids or that way. Would she prefer them stretched on the
sofa suffering from some chronic malady or all life and mischief as they were?
I told her what I am telling you.
Quiet children, as a rule, are sick. Bedridden people must be moved cautiously.
Noise is not permitted around hospitals. If that is so in the natural, it is
so in the spiritual also. Action, movement, noise, appetite, emotion,
are associated with life, not with death. There is nothing the matter with
life, but there is a great deal the matter with death. So much of modern
religion is not an expression of spiritual life but death. The fling, the joy,
the exuberance, the jubilance, the abandonment, the risk, the adventure -- all
have, for the most part, gone out of it. We may admit it has some life but
decidedly not the extra, the abundant life. No wonder it is hard to get
red-blooded people interested in it.
Consider Your Clothes
Sir! is that the only suit you have? Your Sunday-go-to-meeting best?
Most probably not! A man would not feel comfortable except he had one for most
occasions: first, second and third best, as you will. To meet varying needs a
man should have several suits. No one feels well dressed with a limited
wardrobe. That is a beautiful tie you are wearing. But on a rack over the
dresser at home, you have quite a few more of every color and description!
How about you women? One peep at your wardrobe would reveal a good many dresses
besides the one you have on your back right now. This is as it should be, for,
if the one you are wearing got torn, it would really be disastrous. You would
have to go to bed while someone fixed it. The same can be said about collars,
stockings, shoes, and shirts. As far as clothes are concerned, so as to be at
ease, and have peace of mind, we all endeavor to have a little in excess of our
actual needs. The extremely poor may have to wear all he owns on his back but
that is not a normal condition. The ideal is a little extra, a change of
apparel.
Behold Your Food
We live in a land of abundance. Our grocery stores are stocked with the
greatest variety of produce, both domestic and imported, to fit every purse and
to please the most fastidious taste. Look at our fruit stands. They present one
kaleidoscope of colors. When nature is given a chance she repays the tiller of
her soil generously; plenteous harvests, bumper crops are the rule. The
far-reaching development of railroad and steamship transportation facilities
makes it possible for us to enjoy the fruits and vegetables of distant climes.
We eat things in season and out of season. Lettuce, tomatoes and celery appear
on our tables while the snow covers the ground. Foreign fruits flood our
markets: bananas from Cuba, pineapples from the Hawaiian Islands. Oh, the
sumptuous way we fare compared to the limited menu of our forefathers! We sit
down to enjoy meals fit for a king, whereas the pioneers had to satisfy
themselves with cornbread and coffee, milk and molasses.
Is there anything wrong with this superabundance? No! It is a good thing. But
mark the distress of the housewife in her kitchen when there is not enough to
go around the table. A shortage of food for her guests is a breach of
etiquette. Therefore her larder should be full. She will then seek to always
spread plentifully and to satisfy fully. Should not the church be as rich in
spiritual provision for the starving masses? Is God unwilling to supply more
than our needs when His creation is so bountiful?
When It Comes to Money
How many are satisfied with just enough money to get by? Not one! It is
that little extra money that makes life enjoyable. To have barely enough to
exist on makes life an intolerable burden, for it forces one to continuous
scrimping. The ambition of the business man, the desire of the head of every
family is to get ahead of this constant "nip and tuck" race with bills. When
you take an automobile trip, the little extra in your purse, in case of a
blowout or other unforeseen circumstances, drives worry and anxiety away. In
financing the family budget the "too much" comes in very well in a pinch, as
when a relative suddenly takes sick or daughter gets married. Indeed, unless
you have something extra, how can you ever help the man who has nothing?
Then the following Scriptures would have no meaning:
"But whoso hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have need, and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him?" I John 3:17.
"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with
your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that
are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing." I Thes. 4:11,12.
"Let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may
have to give to him that needeth." Eph. 4:28.
Contrary to the notions of many, God is not a Socialist in the literal sense of
that word, but a Capitalist in matters not only material but spiritual. For he
saith, "Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he
hath." Matt. 13:13. That is the trouble with too many of us. We are satisfied
with having just a little, and some day, we will wake up to find that that
little is gone. God wants His children to be economically solvent. He does not
believe in idleness. He says, "Work with your hands," and adds, "and he that
will not work, neither let him eat." Any other policy would ruin our churches,
for what would the tithe amount to if we did not work? And it is not only the
tenth which keeps the work going, but it is a little of that "too much" that
makes up the love offering, besides the tenth. It is this extra that really
counts for the missionary field, for the home field, for the pastor, for the
poor, for the sick, for the needy and for the helpless. Would to God that we
were as sensible and sound in spiritual affairs as we have proved ourselves to
be in the mere paltry, monetary matters of everyday life.
The Example of Business
The store that has the biggest trade is the one that carries the largest stock.
There you are again. Unless a tailor has an extensive assortment of suits on
display, not only as to quality but as to color, texture, size and price, you
are not liable to find what you want, and he will likely lose your trade. He
looks out for that. That is why he keeps such a large variety of goods on hand.
And what is true of the clothing business, is true of every other business. It
is better then to have "too much" stock than too little.
It is the "too much" that keeps business going in the matter of profits.
There is not a concern in the world today that could exist without a
continual income over and above all its expenses. That is why books are kept in
which entries are made every day, the debts on the debit side and the income on
the credit side. And, at the end of the month, a balance is struck. If there is
a profit, all's well! It is that which keeps things going. But if, for a
succession of months, there is a loss, the business is headed for bankruptcy,
and must close shop sooner or later. In this respect any failing business
displays far more sense than some Christians, for how many of you should have
closed shop long ago, declaring yourselves spiritually bankrupt! Then you would
have been in a position to make a new start. However, you have been trying to
cover up your backsliding, your lack of power and maybe a dozen other things.
The world again proves itself wiser in their generation than the children of
light. A concern that has gone on the rocks does not cover things up. No! It
declares itself insolvent, and seeks the mercy of the bankruptcy courts. The
receiver demands a showdown and the true position is made public. The court
does not force it to pay all its debts, but only so much on the dollar. Then it
has a chance to start all over again. But alas! Look at the millions of church
members who are running their Christian profession at a loss!!!! What they
should do, is to seek the backslider's court of mercy, and then make a fresh
start. You, who have not gone that far take a lesson -- you can not run a
business without profit, neither can you be a successful Christian without
surplus life.
This Law in Building and Construction
The bridges that span thousands of rivers and canyons are built to stand
about double the strain caused by the passage of trans-continental
flyers or ponderous freighters hauling an extra load. Allowance is always made
to meet the fury of the elements in an occasional cyclone or hurricane. The
action of heat and cold must also be taken into consideration. The same is true
regarding these towering skyscrapers. The engineers must take into account the
tremendous force of the winds that sweep about these tall buildings. They are
not put up just barely able to hold their own weight. In some of these
'vertical cities', oftentimes ten thousand to fifteen thousand people are about
its endless corridors and offices. This also calls for added strength in the
form of extra foundation-work. Gigantic steel shafts are run right into solid
rock.
Now, do you mean to tell me that God has given us a religion just strong enough
to keep us from toppling over? We who have to face the chilling blast of a
mocking world, endure the severest winters of trial and persecution, and
survive the torrid heats of test and temptation, have we a religion that is not
a match for these emergencies? Did the Author of Christianity fail to
anticipate these things in providing us a salvation not fully adequate to
overcome every obstacle and difficulty? Never! If that were so, I would not
have Him, nor His religion! If your religion is having a hard time trying to
survive, you got it wrong in the beginning. You got it by the tail-end instead
of the head-end. Or maybe, when the getting was good, you did not get enough.
That is the trouble with many of our converts today.
A man can not run many miles on soup. It takes a substantial fuel-food to run
up a considerable mileage. Figuratively speaking, hundreds of our promising
beginners are making their entire spiritual meal of soup. The roasts and the
dessert sweets, besides the goodly portions of greens and other side dishes,
are not included in the fare! They do not wait on God long enough for Him to
serve them the meat course and the dessert of heavenly sweets and all the
spiritual nuts and fruits. Oh, blessed be the name of our God! He is able to
make us strong in the faith, bold and intrepid in the face of danger, ready and
fit to buck the violence and fury of all the world, and come through with
flying colors!
The Prodigality of Nature
Did God provide the trees with just enough fruit to reproduce their own kind?
If that had been the original plan it would be impossible for us to taste the
luscious pear or the juicy plum. Such an arrangement would be impractical.
Nature provides plentifully. Orchard trees should be loaded down with fruit. If
not, they are pruned and sprayed, dug about and strawed until they produce
abundantly. They must warrant their existence, if not they are torn up by the
roots to give place to other trees that will give a rich return. Luke 13:7. It
is their superabundance that furnishes our markets and supplies our pantries.
That is not all. For one look at the orchard ground, littered with the rotting
fruit, will convince you that some of that enormous surplus also goes to
fertilize the sod. What liberality!
The farmer must raise more than just enough grain for the next year's planting.
He must have some to feed his own family the whole year through. Besides, he
must be able to turn an immense yield into cash, so as to finance his whole
enterprise, and purchase the thousand and one necessities he lacks, and still
come out with a profit. Sometimes the trouble is not with the farmer's ability
or willingness to work but the land is no good. It can not provide a proper
return and is accursed. Then they let it grow to wild grass, a few horses are
turned loose to graze on it and they proclaim their purchase a bad bargain. Oh,
there are scores of ways in which I can illustrate this law.
Wherever you turn in life, whatever you consider, it must be made worthwhile by
an adequate interest and return on the investment of labor, trouble and money
involved. As I look into this sea of faces, I am made to marvel that so many
Christians are able to keep going at all. I hardly think that God can find in
His books in Heaven, sufficient profit to warrant all the investment of
blessing and salvation and teaching He has spent on them. Where is the
Apostolic boldness, the daring and dynamic in your life? If, as we say, the
grade is getting steeper these last days, well, you can not run the car of
Christianity with less gasoline nor with a run-down storage battery. A weak,
vacillating, negative, reticent, apologetic faith, is worse than useless
because you are forever placed on the defensive.
Oh, come, our Lord is still on the giving hand. Get recharged, revived,
refilled with the positive, glorious power of the Holy Spirit; for our God who
established this law of plenty, of the "too much," in nature, who imprinted
upon His creation this principle that preaches so loudly to you, will never be
content until it is made manifest in you. Unless you have from Christ obtained
this more abundant life, you are not living up to your God-given, Blood-bought
privileges!
If You Want My Coat
If you want my coat, You can have my waistcoat, too;
If you
ask one mile, I will go with you for two.
Strike my face, I'll smile, Turn the other cheek to you;
Chorus: For those that love the Lord,
Can everything
afford.
When so rich as I, You'll have lots of grace to
spare
You won't search my eye, Try remove the moat that's there.
But the
beam you'll pry, From your sight with tears and prayer;
Throw your bread away, On the sea of humankind;
Twill return some day With
an increase you will find;
Lend without repay, Expect nothing to be
signed;
Tis more blest to give Than to ev'rything retain
The best way to live Is to
lose and not to gain.
Christians primitive Had things common and things
plain;
Learn, with cream repay, All life's skimmed milk thin and rare
Treat your
enemy With the Kindest thought and care
If friends come to stay, Always
show them lots to spare;
-- W. Booth-Clibborn
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