More and More of You

On Sunday, we will be singing "More and More of You." It is one of my all time favorite songs. I became aware of it around the time in was written in 2012. It impacted me immensely. Why? Well, you have to jump back to 2010.

I was sitting on the top bunk in a barracks in Camp Atterbury, Indiana. I was preparing to leave the US in just a few weeks for nearly a year. The season of Lent was about to begin. Most years, instead of giving something up, I ask God to show me something I am lacking. This year, I heard Him say that I needed more compassion. I began to pray for more compassion, not thinking about what I was really asking.

What followed was a series of truly horrible situations in my life and in my family. I won't go into details, but we call them "The Years of Sadness" in our family. In 2012, I was praying about what was going on when the Holy Spirit revealed what was happening. You see, how does God teach us compassion? By allowing us to experience pain so we understand. The Bible calls it "conforming us to the image of Christ" and "sharing in His suffering." It was right around that time that "More and More of You" entered my life.

I believe that when most Christians say they want more of God, what they mean is they want a spiritual experience. They want an emotional feeling of closeness. Let me put it in marriage terms. They want the "new love" feelings of dating and the honeymoon. However, we all know that the real beauty of marriage comes from walking through struggles together.

When most Christians are asking for more of God, they are not asking for suffering. And yet, that is EXACTLY what "More of You" means. Sharing in Christ's suffering. Embracing the cross. Walking through the valley of the shadow of death.

When you sing "We want more and more and more and more of You" on Sunday, do you mean it?

SONGS FOR SUNDAY

Freedom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiO_Eteee1U

It Is Well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_EE1dnr0DA

Always So Good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5_ljVCH39c

Amazing Grace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbe7OruLk8I

More and More of You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5hHxIWbxXI