It’s repetition that catches my eye and captivates my thoughts this morning.

Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.

Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more.

(1Thessalonians 4:1, 9-10 ESV)

As you are doing . . . do so more and more. What you are doing . . . do this more and more.

More and more . . . that’s what I’m chewing on this morning.

In some ways, I fear that the “doing so” which the church is to be doing, is, in fact, being done less and less rather than more and more. That how we ought to walk is being shaped too much by cultural norms and polarizing ideologies and not enough by what were once considered as Christ-like norms received through Paul’s inspired writings. That being taught by God to love one another is subtlety being filtered through lenses other than the gospel and our common salvation. So that, in our zeal to contend for the faith, we’ve perhaps lost some focus on loving the faithful (not the perfect . . . not just those aligned on all matters of opinion . . . but those who are born again and faithful).

And so, Paul’s words land forcefully this morning . . . Live to please God. Love one another. Do so more and more.

But if I’m honest with myself, I’m also battling, to some degree, the effects of “senior-itis” — that, as I get older, there’s the reality of waning energy. And, if I keep being honest with myself, it can spawn a temptation to settle for less and less. A temptation to think that having “put in my time”, I should be okay to now “put up my feet.” But if I have ears to hear, the Spirit wants to prompt my spirit by whispering afresh, “Do so more and more.”

And so I desire to keep running the race. To keep pressing towards the prize. To keep on keepin’ on. More and more . . .

How?

Only through His power made manifest in my weakness. More and more.

Only by the Christ who lives in me. More and more.

Only as I abide in Him. More and more.

Only by His grace. More and more.

Only for His glory. More and more.