I grew up in church. I grew up knowing all the songs. I grew up memorizing verses. At age eight I could answer any adults questions about salvation perfectly. But I was not saved. When I was 13 I finally understood God's love for me in a real way. And I accepted him as my savior. However, I still didn't connect His words and His songs to my daily life.
I was thinking about that today. For so long I would listen to worship music as just words. As words that praise God, but just good things to say. Kind of like this. If you mis-stepped and almost fell off of a cliff or tall building but someone reached out at the last second, your thank you would have a lot more meaning than saying thank you because your date paid for your dinner. Well for so long whenever I would praise God it was like I was thanking Him for my dinner. It was something that he didn't have to do but He was supposed to do. It was nice, but didn't really consume my heart as life changing.
And it is SO easy to do that! We sing the same words every week. We know them by heart. We honestly are thanking God but kind of half heartily. Like we thank our parents for giving us a place to live. Like God is somehow obligated to save us. I think of a couple of songs playing on the christian radio circuit as an example of what I experienced in my own life. They are "What Faith Can Do" by Kutless and "One Thing Remains" by Jesus Culture.
The Kutless song goes like this, and I know most of you have probably sang it at one time.
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do. But what are you thinking about when you sing this song. Do you really believe it? Have you really seen it? It took quite an experience in my life to really see it. I can honestly say that I have seen a hope that doesn't end even when the sky is falling. I've seen miracles just happen. I've see silent prayers get answered. And I am SO blessed to have seen that! But this blog isn't about focusing on God more during songs, it's about truly experiencing faith. Have you truly experienced faith? Have you experienced that hope that doesn't ever end even when the sky is falling? My favorite line in this song is also one of my favorite verses. "If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold, the new has come" - 2 Corinthians 5:17. I have seen broken hearts become brand new countless times, but I want to share the story of one of these amazing times. So maybe you can see it for yourself.
Most of you know my story. If not here is a link. http://www.mercyministries.org/news/54/2012/01-31/six-more-mercy-graduates-celebrate-freedom so I am going to tell the story of my dear friend, one of the most amazing people I have ever known. And also a Mercy sister.
I met her in the fall of 2011. I was taking care of myself at a rehabilitation/discipleship facility in CA and she was just coming in. I had already been there for a few months and had already seen amazing changes in my own life. This girl walked through the doors angry and hopeless. She was the definition of a broken heart. She had gone through a life of all kinds of terrible abuse from her own father and her mom was as deadbeat as well. She tried her best to raise her younger brother. Eventually things got so unbearable that she turned to eating disorders and drugs to try and get control of her life. But it just ran her into the dirt. She was hopeless. She had nothing. She had been hospitalized for suicide attempts. I knew God could reach her but I never dreamed He would reach her in such a big way that He did.
She put up a HUGE fight but God got to her heart. They wrestled for a long time but God won, and gently loved on her. It hasn't been an easy road but God did not give up on her. He is a part of her soul and mind and walks with her. Today this girl is a beautiful woman of God. Her heart is brand new! She can trust people. She can love people. Silent prayers were answered. Her heart is beautiful and new.
This same thing happened to me. When was the last time you truly experienced God? When was the last time you trusted Him with everything you had? I am a very stubborn person and it took me quite a long time to recognize that God was worth my trust and I had to go through hell and back to realize that He is ALL I have and ALL I need. When was the last time you put everything else aside and trusted Him? Jerimiah 29:12-13 says " Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
God will be there for you. When was the last time you sought after Him with your whole heart? It's not easy. And it's not going to happen everyday. But it is so worth it. And I don't mean seek after Him as in just reading your Bible and praying (even though those are GREAT places to start), I mean to seek after Him in EVERYTHING you do. If it's sitting out in the yard and yelling, do that! If it's writing a song do that. Just connect. Reach out, truly, with your heart. I want to end with a few words of encouragement as you start on this journey. From a song:
Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me
God's love never fails. It will never run out on you. If you reach out to Him, He will come to you. His love will never run dry for you. He loves you.
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