More and More

1 Thessalonians 4:1 & 10 "Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more....And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;"

Once we are saved, we know all the "right things" to do. Go to church, read your Bible, pray, etc. So many Christians, I am afraid, get into a rut, where they are doing all these "right things" but the growth stops. There is not any expansion, no upward trend, just stagnation (which is regression).

This is not God's design. Paul uses the words "more and more" several times. He is trying to get a point across to the church - your sanctification, which is the will of God, is an ongoing process. Every day is supposed to build upon the last, the lessons learned, the love shown, the sacrifices made, should all spur us on to more and more of the same.

Note here that the word used was not just "more" by itself. No, instead the words used were "more and more". One could interpret "more" by itself as "just keep doing it, everyday." However, "more and more" obviously is pointing to an expansion of the previous, not merely a continuation.

The faith, grace, mercy, and love that we are given freely from God are to be given back generously to the world around us, more and more everyday. Is this happening in your life? Is there ever an expansion, or are things sitting stagnant, on cruise control? What would have to change in order for "more and more" to start defining your life?