This Sunday we will be singing “Praise Your Name”, a song written by Todd Fields. He writes in the song that God gives “everything and more”. One could ask, “is it possible to give more than everything?” I have thought about it some and have my ideas, but I thought I’d be interesting you all to kick around this idea for awhile. So…
How does God give “everything and more” to His children?
If you want to see that lyric in context, click here.
Once you’ve given everything, what’s left to give? Has God put himself in debt? Is this God’s way of giving 110%?
But seriously… “everything” describes a limit. To be infinite is to have no limit: you cannot traverse infinity; there is always more ahead of you no matter how far you go. So perhaps it’s not strictly possible for God to give everything…?
Still… there’s a mystery in Christ that defies comprehension. Although infinite in his divine nature, there was no part of Christ that did not experience death on the cross. He pays the fullness of the penalty for sin on behalf of each person he redeems — and each person he redeems stands in unending debt to a God whose holiness knows no bounds. Despite the totality of the price he paid, Christ yet lives and reigns for eternity. Wow.
Or maybe Todd just thought it sounded catchy. 😉
Hyperbole?
Or how about this? He gave the “everything” we know of and can relate to — even life itself — and the “more” we don’t know about and never will relate to.
Nice to see the rhythm section contributing. 🙂
“Everything and more” is so broad it could be taken several ways. I think of Christ as a man giving up His life, which is everything He had to give. Then as God, Christ gives His followers His righteousness. I take this as the “more” in this song. Additionally,I also think of God’s present grace for today and the grace to come.
God giving “everything and more” makes me think of one of my favorite late 70s early 80s CCM songs by the Imperials with Russ Taft on Vocals.
“I’m forgiven, now I have a reason for living, Jesus keeps giving and giving, giving till my heart overflows”
http://play.rhapsody.com/theimperials/onemoresongforyou/imforgiven
I think Todd Fields might have been inspired by Psalm 23:5 “…My Cup Overflows…”
So from a human perspective it is a very good thing!
I think it’s a meaningless phrase (akin to “infinity and beyond”) and sloppy lyricism. But Christians are used to that by now.
I think you’ve missed the point Jeffrey. It’s obvious the lyric is nebulous, hence why I wrote this post.
The lyric is not precise, like many lyrics that leave room for interpretation. So the question can be restated, “How does one redeem this vague lyric biblically?”
I am reminded of yet another scripture by this “sloppy” lyric: John 10:10b – I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Everything and more indeed.
I don’t think John 10:10b is the same type of statement. One can have a life that is not abundant (or “full” as some translations say) but one cannot truly have “everything” and then add something to that.
Though I think there is some merit to Jeffry’s point that Christians have gotten used to modern Christian music with sloppy lyrics that don’t reflect sound theology, I don’t think that’s necessarily the case here. I think its more like David suggested, a use of hyperbole to describe something we can’t really describe fully, the depth of God’s mercy and grace.
Also, technically the lyric is past tense, “You gave everything and more”, so I’m less inclined to attach present or future value to its meaning.
Good point! 🙂
I guess I like to think of things in more simple and practical terms, and is why I struggle to grasp the points of view on here sometimes.
Why fault some folks for taking “lyrical license” when trying to express sincere Praise to God? We are not talking about bad or incorrect foundational doctrine here. “Sloppy and lazy lyrics” are an opinion based on a desire for “perfect” doctrinal lyrics, and assume the writers are all biblical scholars. News Flash…the other 95+% of us are not deep thinking scholars and never will be! 😉
From my perspective God gave us EVERYTHING in his Son, and MORE than we could ever deserve.
Simple truth that C.A. can understand, Praise God for, and me likey….Fin….
News flash … the tense of a verb is not “deep thinking” but basic grammar. 😛
My point is not that the lyric is nebulous or imprecise, but that it’s nonsensical. I can’t make sense of saying that there is “everything and more.” There’s nothing more than everything, by definition. And is the rephrased question really any better? Why sing praise songs with lyrics that need to be redeemed?
…because every song has its weak spots, as they are written by fallible beings with a desire to glorify God. I thought by bringing up the weak spot ahead of time, we could have a good discussion about it. And I think we did. I chose the song for this Sunday because the remainder of the lyrics serve the theme of this Sunday’s gathering.
Words too big and too many and me not good grammar with. Fire too bright. Hurt eyes. Ugh…
Jeffrey, how about not having to “redeem” lyrics but helping people to assign value to a vague, even non-sensical lyric? It may very well be valid even though it’s not a spoon-fed idea or a literal logic.
How odd to ask one for help and then state that there is none to help. If there is none then there is not even one. Why not say “no one else”? So it violates basic mathematics, but in context it works. Maybe it rhymed well in Hebrew. 🙂
So you can also look at the lyric in question like:
Blessings You have poured out on me
And everything, Lord you gave (me) everything (I’ll ever need) and more.
David are you implying this? In Christ we have everything. Then there is creation or the things around us we were given to enjoy (Family, friends, flowers, animals). Minus those things we still have everything..Christ(Himself). Like in the story of Job; the giver of the gifts verses the gifts. What if the song were written “You gave us Yourself and more”? He is still everything without His gifts. It seems to me in this line the “more” is not as important as the “everything”, but a fringe benefit. What do you think?
Yet another way to assign value to it. 🙂
If anyone sees Todd Fields around town be sure to ask him what exactly he meant by it. 🙂
Anything wrong with my view above about what the writer could have meant?
“From my perspective God gave us EVERYTHING in his Son, and MORE than we could ever deserve”
That part of the song is about what God gives/gave us and not necessarily who He is.
As a caveman blogger, I think this is a very beautiful and simple way of looking at it. Does anyone agree or is it back to the cave for me? Hey…that rhymes. I could write a song, but surely it would be too lyrically lax to gain wide acceptance. 😉
I propose we replace the lyric with “I choose to believe You thought of me above all.”
Who is us? And what do you mean by “EVERYTHING in his Son”?
Jeffrey, I can totally see the point you are making. 🙂 If you sing the song and see it as man centered by all means perhaps you should forgo that line. There are songs on the radio I can’t sing due to my conscience in that area.
But for those of us who think of satisfaction in Christ alone, what His gift was, and the value placed on that gift; the words in this song take on a different meaning. Can any of us say that God did not give us everything for life and godliness in His word? But what about our shoes, our homes, other things not needed for godliness in this world , but still given to us by God?
CAN, when I ask “Who is us?”, it’s more about making a distinction between “all individual Christians” and “the collective Christian whole”.
For example, God gave “us”, every individual Christian, an eternal inheritance.
God also gave “us” the spiritual gifts. But every individual Christian doesn’t have every spiritual gift.
Regarding “EVERYTHING in the Son”, I’m not sure what you mean by the qualifier of “in the Son”? Defining that will help me understand what you mean by “EVERYTHING”.
May I suggest this phrase is lyrical hyperbole meant to make the larger point of our great need(s) and God’s greatness in providing for that need(s)?
I like what Dan said….
But if you need me to be more specific……
EVERYTHING = He gave His own life
EVERYTHING = All sufficiency in Christ
EVERYTHING = I can do all things through Christ
EVERYTHING = Power of the Holy Spirit in us
EVERYTHING = Saving Grace
EVERYTHING = Eternal Life
EVERYTHING = Being allowed to breathe long enough to give Him the Praise and Glory
Just off of my head above and all without question all of these are MORE than any of us deserve!
He gives us EVERYTHING and MORE.
Can I get a big hallelujah and Amen and lets put this puppy to bed.
🙂 HALLELUJAH! AMEN! My letters don’t print any bigger than that.
Don’t worry CA this blog is the next to go away in the blog cycle.
I talked to Todd last night and he couldn’t remember what song the line was from, at first. It is my understading it was written a about 5 years ago. He said he wasn’t trying to be deep in theology.
“Anything wrong with my view…”
Given that specific qualification of the all encompassing definition of the word “everything” then, no, I find nothing wrong. 🙂
Cyndy, so Hugh got it right at the end of comment 2. 🙄
Yes, I guess so David.