“An artist invests all his effort into making great works of art. A masterpiece appears only when the artist gives everything, and feels he cannot give any more. Creation starts with investing oneself. Creation is possible only when energy is poured out.” (CSG 78-111)
God did not create through the Word as if speaking a command cost nothing. God “completely poured out His true life, true love and true ideals.” The period before creating and after creating were different: before, God thought about everything centered on Himself; after starting to create, He existed for His object partner.
This is the template for all genuine relationship:
- Before: centered on self
- Turning point: decision to invest, to give, to create
- After: existence is for the other
This is also why children are precious to parents in a way other relationships are not — the investment in creating them was unconditional and total. “God created human beings by investing the core of His bone, core of His flesh, and core of His bone marrow. When such people pull on God, He cannot help being pulled along.”
The implication for mission
Partial giving produces partial results. A ministry, a church, a marriage, a friendship that holds something back is not following the principle of creation. The reason many efforts feel hollow is that they weren’t entered with the total investment that creates a true object partner.
Cross-domain parallel
In music: a technically correct performance that the musician held back from is different from one where everything was given. Audiences know the difference without being able to explain it. The total investment is not just a quantity — it changes the quality of what exists.