Do You Want "More"?

I still remember having lunch with Greg Hawkins over 10 years ago. At the time, Greg was the executive pastor of Willow Creek Church. They were in the early stages of the extensive research project that was later described in his books Reveal and Move. Greg was quite animated as he described the early findings and the impact that it would have at Willow. Over the years, I’ve been able to stay in touch with Greg, and his enthusiasm has continued to grow. It has grown because the research led him to something much greater – a life of “more” intimacy with God. It’s those learnings that he describes in More: How to Move from Activity for God to Intimacy with God. More begins with the “aha” that grew out of the research. Something is dramatically different among the people whose lives are most Christ-centered. Greg explains:

People in this group love God with their whole heart and love others as themselves. They have found a life of purpose, a life of loving others, a life of inner contentment and peace. We want these things. We crave that kind of life, especially when we learn that it’s not about doing more things. The good news is that you can have this kind of life. You can find the more you’re looking for.

Greg lays out 6 shifts in our thinking and actions that can enable any believer to experience a life of more. Even though he draws on the research, I was drawn in by the way that Greg shares his own deeply personal journey toward more. I was also challenged throughout More. In one of the shifts, which Greg calls “From Next to Now,” he says, “Most of us have grown up thinking that pushing through things to get a lot accomplished is the hallmark of success, or even a means of pleasing God. I’m not so sure about that anymore.” Even as I was challenged, I was also encouraged. More is not a collection of rules, nor is it a vehicle for producing guilt. It is an invitation – an invitation that the Holy Spirit can use to lead you and me to the abundant life of more that God wants for us.]]>