In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square

"In the total expanse of human life there is not a single square inch of which the Christ, who alone is sovereign, does not declare, 'That is mine!'" — so thundered Abraham Kuyper, the Dutch theologian, philosopher, and statesman whose faith was a living flame. His words are not gentle musings, but a battle cry of divine authority. They proclaim that there is no part of existence, no art, no science, no kingdom or quiet corner of the human soul, that does not belong to Christ the Sovereign. This is not the claim of tyranny, but of love — for the One who made all things reclaims them not with chains, but with the radiance of redemption.

Kuyper lived in a time when the world was awakening to its own power — the age of reason, industry, and revolution. Men began to believe that progress alone could save them, that faith could be banished to the silent pews of Sunday while the rest of life marched on ungoverned. But Kuyper, standing like a prophet before the tides, cried out that no realm is godless, no labor or thought escapes the hand of Christ. Whether in the throne room or the marketplace, in the scholar’s mind or the farmer’s toil, the dominion of Christ endures. For He is not the ruler of a day, but of eternity; not the Lord of the church alone, but of the cosmos entire.

To understand this truth, one must imagine creation as a vast kingdom, unmeasured and eternal. Every star that burns, every human heart that beats, every art that uplifts or science that discovers — all are but echoes of His sovereign word: “That is mine.” Even the rebellious heart that denies Him beats with a life He sustains. Every breath is borrowed from His mercy, every moment is a spark from His will. This is the divine claim that humbles kings and raises the lowly — that nothing in all creation stands outside the reach of His purpose.

Consider the story of William Wilberforce, the man who fought for the end of slavery in the British Empire. He was not content to leave faith in the chapel while injustice ruled the streets. He believed, as Kuyper did, that Christ’s sovereignty extended into every human affair — that the Gospel demanded transformation not only of hearts, but of societies. For twenty years he battled parliament, ridicule, and exhaustion, driven by the conviction that freedom itself was part of God’s dominion. And when at last the slave trade was abolished, it was as if Christ’s hand had inscribed over a darkened land: “This too is Mine.”

Kuyper’s words are a warning to those who divide life into the sacred and the secular. For there is no wall high enough to keep out the King of Kings. The artist who paints truth, the scientist who uncovers order, the mother who teaches her child mercy — all labor beneath the same divine light. Every vocation, rightly lived, becomes a form of worship. To serve well is to acknowledge ownership. When we do our work with integrity and love, we return to Christ what was always His — our effort, our gifts, our world.

Yet this truth is also a call to humility. If Christ declares every inch “Mine,” then there is no ground for pride, no kingdom that belongs to man alone. Wealth, talent, knowledge, and power — all are on loan from the eternal Owner. The wise soul walks softly, knowing he is but a steward of what is holy. To live otherwise is to forget whose breath animates our every deed. And when humanity forgets this, chaos rises — for creation without its Creator is a ship adrift in storm.

The lesson, then, is clear and fierce: live as though everything you touch belongs to God — because it does. Let your words be worthy of His claim. Let your work bear the mark of His excellence. Let your thoughts, even in solitude, remember His watchful sovereignty. Whether you rule a nation or sweep a floor, whether you study the stars or tend the soil, do it as one standing upon holy ground, for the earth and all its fullness are His.

And when doubt or pride whispers that some part of your life is yours alone, listen again to Kuyper’s resounding vision — the echo of Christ’s eternal voice, stretching across the universe, through time and heart alike: “That is Mine.” Let these words awaken reverence in your soul, discipline in your labor, and devotion in your every breath. For there is no corner of creation untouched by His hand, no life too small for His glory. Everything — every moment, every inch — belongs to Him who reigns forever.