The song Reckless Love by Cory Asbury is forever ruined for me. Brian loved it when he was the most selfish version of himself. For this reason, I associate the song with utter self-centeredness. Which, attempting to put my personal biases aside, is not a completely inaccurate statement. The lyrics repeat the word “me” nineteen times and “I” ten times in case you were wondering. A worship song is not supposed to center on us, it is supposed to be about God and how good He is.
Yet, there is nothing inherently wrong with the song. Maybe it was not meant to be a worship song at all. Perhaps, it was just written for our musical enjoyment. Certainly, there must be people who can listen to it and keep their focus on Jesus instead of themselves, but I cannot.
This song is the epitome of how aspects of our increasingly self-centered society are seeping into Christianity. It reminds me of those who say Jesus would have died for you if you were the only person on this earth. However, I cannot find this statement anywhere in the Bible. He loves us more than we will ever understand, but God never said he would have sent His son to die for me if I was the only human being on this planet.
My all-time favorite song is Take My Life by Third Day. It is short and repeats itself, but the words are powerful. I am not very good at talking, but the lyrics perfectly expresses what I want to say. The differences between this song and the previous one are astounding.
How many times have I turned away?
The number is the same as the sand on the shore
But every time You've taken me back
And now, I pray You do it once more
Please, take from me my life
When I don't have the strength
To give it away to You
And how many times have I turned away?
The number is the same as the stars in the sky
But every time You've taken me back
And now, I pray You do it tonight
This song is about admitting our mistakes and surrendering to Jesus. It does not build me up by saying God, “chases me down, fights 'til I'm found leaves the ninety-nine.” Even if He would leave the ninety-nine when I am lost. Instead, it reminds me of my failures and how good God is when I mess up. It reminds me that He is always there for me.
I listened to this song on repeat when I accidentally discovered Brian’s addiction. At that moment, I literally did not have the strength to give my life to God. I did not have the strength to do anything. I asked God to take my life from me. That is how weak and simultaneously stubborn I am. I cannot even submit my own life to God. He had to take it away from me and He did. He took my problems and worries away.
When I want to take matters back into my own hands, I have to remind myself that life is better when I let God take care of my problems. He is the God of the freaking universe. I think he can handle my tiny, little issues.
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