Background by Lecrea & C-Lite

"For however exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Matthew 23:12

This morning I was listening to the song "Background" by Lecrea and C-Lite that my friend Sarah shared on Facebook. I love Lecrea but I wasn't really expecting the song to speak to me today but it did. The whole point of the song is putting Jesus first and letting Him take the lead in your life rather than trying to be the focus yourself. In the second verse Lecrea says,

"So, just let me shadow you. And just let me trace your lines.
Matter fact just take my pen.
Here, you create my rhymes.
Cuz if I do this by myself I'm scared that I'll succeed.
And no longer trust in You, cuz I only trust in me.
And see, that's how you end up headed to destruction."

I feel like that I have been there many times. How many times have things been going good and I have been so eager to take credit for my life? How often do I forget that my blessings are coming from God when things are easy sailing? It's just so easy to get full of yourself!

Then the song get's to the bridge:

"I know I'm safest when I'm in your will and trust your word.
And I know I'm dangerous when I trust myself; my vision blurred.
And I ain't got no time to play life's foolish games.
Got plenty aims but do they really glorify your name.
And its a shame the way I want to do these things for you, yeah.
Don't even cling to you. Take time to sit and glean from you.
And its seems that you are patient in my ignorance.
If ignorance is bliss, its cuz she never heard of this"

 It's powerful and overwhelming to think about giving God the complete control He should have. That's the whole point! We can best glorify God and be like God when we allow Him to fully takeover our lives. I want to be able to voluntarily say that "I could play the background" and some days are better than others. For now I am striving to get to the point that my live shouts that every SINGLE day! Each day I want to be more and more like Christ. I want to give up more control so that I can truly be like Him. You too can play the background if you will follow Christ.

God Doesn't Give Up

"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 18:32

I hope I am not alone in saying that each and every day can be a struggle. As a Christian, I struggle to live a life worthy of the calling I have received (Eph. 4:1), I strive to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16), and to let no unwholesome talk come from my mouth (Eph. 4:29). Let's just say that there are days, like yesterday, where I fail miserably.

When I have days like that I just want to give up. I find myself asking, "Wouldn't it just be easier if I weren't a Christian and didn't believe in God? Then I could live however I want!" Yet when I think about all the times that God has proven over and over and over again that He is there for me when no one else has been, I know that I could never have made it without Him. Quite frankly, if I was not a Christian I probably would have committed suicide a long time ago! This life just isn't worth it without God.

BUT today I want to take a moment to stand on the promises. In Psalm 18:32, God promises to arm us with the strength that we need to make it through this moment, this day, this week, this month...I hope you get the picture...and HE is the one who will make our ways perfect. Why do we fail so often? Why do we get so frustrated? It's because we are trying to do it all in OUR strength instead of relying on the strength that God will arm us with if we ask Him and let Him.

Let go and let God!

Standing on the Promises

Words & Music: R. Kel­so Car­ter, in Prom­is­es of Per­fect Love, by John Swe­ney and Kel­so Car­ter (Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1886)

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain

Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
Listening every moment to the Spirit’s call
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain