Friday, February 5, 2010

"To Surrender is to Gain"

I miss this blog a lot. I have not had much time to actually post something, but I have been listening to the songs and reading your posts, and they are all very encouraging. I should be studying for my midterm now, but I have been wanting to share these songs for a while now.


Lyrics: http://www.timbetold.com/LyricsAllofMe.html

At the beginning of last quarter, a friend of mine from the church I go to in San Diego introduced me to this band called Tim Be Told, and I have fallen in love with their music since. The song "All of Me" became pretty much my life anthem for the past few months: I listen to it practically every day multiple times. I chose to share these three songs--"The Hymn," "All of Me," and "Honor You"--simply because I connect a lot with them for a long time. But do expect me to share more songs from them--I love them so much!

Let's start with the first song: "The Hymn (O What Mercy)." The lyrics are very eloquent, but they deliver a basic message that we all have heard many, many times. Essentially, we are broken, we are dirt, but despite our mishaps, God saves us, though we may not always recognize it. It's really easy for me to overlook the power expressed in this message of the gospel, simply because I hear it so many times that it has become cliche for me. But it really shouldn't be; I really should NEVER tire of hearing the gospel. I am currently being discipled by one of the upperclassmen in my fellowship (who is conveniently the one who shared this band with me), and he made it clear to me why I should never forget the gospel. It's really interesting, actually. He pointed out how a lot of the times when we go through hardships and then are so consumed with ourselves and how everything's messed up, well, eventually (though it's not always the case) we remember the gospel--or at least some form of it--and we recognize how essential God's grace is. While it is definitely good to go back to the gospel, how much more clarity one would have going through hardships with the gospel in mind. Well, that's just for me anyway.

One thing I really like about the song is the way that the lyrics are structured. In the middle of the first two verses, the lyrics emphasize our own shortcomings: "still my darkness veils all the victories / that you've seen me through" and "but our silence veils all the answers / that they seek from you." However, by the third verse, the climax of the song, we see the opposite: our shortcomings no longer matter. Surrounded by a powerful, symphonic aura, and delivered with strong vocals, the lyrics accentuate God's victory: "But your hope unveils all the answers and reveals the truth / By the cross you've made a way..."

I had actually intended "All of Me" to be the crux of this post, but seeing how I started to ramble a bit, I'll try to be brief. Like I mentioned, this is one of my favorite songs, and I really connect with it. One thing I struggle with is idolatry. I give myself to many things other than God, i.e. certain people, school, whatever it may be. I put all my strength and heart, all my hope and trust, into these things--much more than I give to God--but the thing is, I always end up in a worse state, farther from God. The second verse reflects my sentiments very well:

"I am restless in my soul
Stealing their affections, trying to fill an endless hole
I have cried alone so many times
'Cause I can't feel your love
I remember when you used to be enough"

Yeah. To be brief, I am very overwhelmed right now. It's hard to turn to God, but I do know--I have experienced it!--the joys of giving myself to God. I just pray that my trust in God remains strong, even through tough circumstances. Okay. Listen to these songs while reading the lyrics; it's really nice.

The last song...it's really simple and straightforward. Here are the lyrics:

"I have toiled and labored
For things that pass away
Working just to savor these numbered days
Fruitless seeds I've sown
Worthless things I've grown
I offer You all that I own, though small and simple
I pray it honors You alone"

Great prayer in conjunction with the previous song.

Alright I really need to continue studying for my midterm now. It's gonna be crazy! But I pray that I can give it up to God and that it honors Him. Alright, study time!

Enjoy Tim Be Told! :)