Lyrics
There's a voice calling me from an old rugged tree
And it whispers
"Draw closer to Me
Leave your world far behind
There are new heights to climb
And a new life in Me you will find"
For whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord
That's what I'll be willing to do
And whatever it takes to be more like You
That's what I'll be willing to do
Take the dearest things to me
If that's how it must be to draw me closer to You
Let my disappointments come
Lonely days without the sun
If in sorrow more like You I'll become
I'll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain
That's what I'll be willing to do
For whatever it takes for my will to break
That's what I'll be willing to do
That's what I'll be willing to do
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
The song is a prayer of surrender shaped by the call of the cross. The old rugged tree represents the voice of Christ drawing a disciple away from familiar attachments and toward a new life. Its central refrain accepts whatever may be required to grow closer to the Lord and become more like Him. That willingness places spiritual formation above comfort, possessions, and favorable circumstances.
The later lines name disappointment, loneliness, rain, and pain as experiences through which a resistant will might be broken. They do not celebrate suffering for its own sake; rather, they express a readiness to let even hardship serve conformity to Christ. The language closely recalls the call to deny oneself, take up the cross, and follow Jesus. It also resembles the prayer of Psalm 51 for a broken and contrite heart. By repeating its promise of willingness, the song presents surrender not as a passing emotion but as an offered response to the Lord who calls the disciple closer.
Related Scripture
- Luke 9:23 Jesus calls disciples to deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow Him.
- Romans 8:29 Paul describes believers as being conformed to the image of Gods Son.
- Psalm 51:17 The psalm says God does not despise a broken and contrite heart.