Do You Know What You Are Saying?

This is not a review of the well known Jesus Culture song, but rather a conviction after enjoying listening to it again.

Now, I want to start by saying I love this song! My intent in writing this is to engage my Christian community in how I personally responded to listening to it recently. I thought it might aid you all in processing similar thoughts as believers in this turbulent time of history.

The other morning I was up praying as I often do during the week. Early in the morning just asking God what I should know about. In that moment a song came on. It was a song I have heard many times in my life. Though, it was a different version and singer than the original. Listening to it over and over this particular morning I couldn’t help but remember something my wife told me one day after a worship service we had attended.

She said, ‘Do we really know what we are saying? Do we realize the words we are singing sometimes?’ As a worship leader for many years this questioning and urgency from her intrigued me and we began a discussion. We dove deep that day about what it would really look like if God’s glory came into the room! Remembering how so many times in the bible when God’s glory entered an environment people fell as dead men, trembled, and quaked unable to even look up. It was a giant reality check on how small we really are.

Most of the time it was followed with the words, ‘Fear not’, however it was usually a humbling situation. The reason I’m writing this post on it is when I was reminded of that discussion my thoughts went in a little different direction. I was focused more on the topic of true discipleship and following Jesus!

My intent today is to share my feelings as a current missionary and follower of Jesus on what I felt the morning I listened to this song again. Maybe you will relate. Let’s take a look at the lyrics for a moment. The chorus and bridge sections are what you might expect and relatable to avid church goers all over. I want to hone in on the verse and the chorus after that.

The Chorus goes;

‘Where you go, I’ll go, and what you say, I’ll say, and what you pray, I’ll pray’

The Bridge;

‘The world sees and soon forgets, but we will not forget who you are and what you’ve done for us’

When we are in a group of believers worshiping at the top of our lungs in the safety of a beautiful church it can be easy to say the words from the bridge. The family of God in unity thinking upon our history with God in gratitude. There is almost an us and them feeling maybe while participating. A relating to John chapter 1 that the world did not recognize and know the Word of God when He presented himself. I have attended hundreds of those services and still love and miss them today.

The chorus can almost sound reasonable as well, when in a group of like minded individuals. Even sitting in a remote village in Africa trying to live out these very lyrics I was convicted that I still desire it all the more! When we look individually at these particular lyrics it can become quite challenging and sobering.

Check out the verse;

‘Jesus only did what he saw you do. He would only say what he heard you speak.
He would only move when he felt you lead. Following your heart, following your spirit
How could I expect to walk without you. When every move that Jesus made was in surrender. I will not begin to live without you. For you only are worthy, you are always good, You are always good’

As a believer, declaring I follow Jesus, I have to encounter these words daily! Wherever I find myself! When singing, ‘I will not begin to live without you’ do I stop, and take inventory of the last words I said to the clerk at QT? For me in Africa maybe the child who asked me for money for the hundredth time. Can I really sing this verse? Can you? Can we as a church, really?

This post is not to condemn anyone or any group! It’s to hopefully start a dialogue and then encourage each other in the comments as we debrief about it. Let’s as disciple makers chew on Jesus’ question, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ together this week and the weeks ahead. And then ask each other, ‘Now, what will we do about it?’

Then it would make more sense for us to process the chorus. Don’t you think?

Will we actually go where He goes? Will we actually say what He says? And will we pray His heart? Even pray it over the car that just cut us off, or the boss that persecuted us at work? Will we go? Maybe, over to our neighbors and invite them over for a meal and chat about the love of Jesus?

After considering those things it could become easier to ponder how many times Jesus might have desired to go somewhere else, say something different, or pray a different prayer.

Why bring these things up Ian? Are you trying to present one more challenge in the Christian walk? No, not really. I am a believer in the truth that confession leads to repentance and repentance leads to transformation. When we confess-truth tell about how maybe we aren’t living out the lyrics we have been singing, then and only then can we ask God what He wants us to know about that. He will reveal what we have been believing or what fear is controlling us from living them out.

Then we can ask Him what he says about it. God will give us new perspective about how we see ourselves and the world, and then repentance-mind change can take place. And what will follow? Transformation!

Like the song says, ‘I can not begin to live without you.’ Agreed! We can not begin to live without Him, so when we confess what we have been living for instead, He is quick to tell us why. Then He is so good to reveal how He sees us, so we can believe and be transformed into His image. What follows?

We will go, say, and pray the things He desires. I don’t know about you, but that’s what my family wants. When I processed this song the other day and thought, ‘Do we know what we are saying?’, my deepest desire was that there would be testimony in my life to go with the words I was singing.

For you reading this you may be thinking, ‘But Ian you went to Africa! You are doing the first part of that chorus.’ It’s true we went where He told us, all the way to Mozambique. But I long to say and pray daily what He wants me to. I long to say, ‘Eyes be opened, arise and walk, life return to him/her, and forgive them Father.’

I confess to you all I am working on it, and living for that!

And when I sing words like these I am convicted! How about you?