Month: March 2016

Song Explanation: The Fight

I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
– Romans 7:21-25a

This song could easily be called Story of My Life, but we already went down that road with Let It Go, didn’t we? (I actually called this one “Old Man” for a while before renaming it. I’m bad at song titles…)

The Fight is a reference to the inner struggle every Christian faces with sin. We’ve all prayed that infamous prayer – that we’ll never do it again. Whatever the “it” is this week or this year, we occasionally have moments of clarity when we say to ourselves, “I’m a Christian! Jesus has given me victory over sin! So why on earth do I keep messing up?!”

If I’m honest, it’s kind of embarrassing how much I can relate to Paul in Romans 7:15 when he says, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Deep down, I truly love God and want to do what is right, but the smallest thing can set me off or distract me for long enough to lure me away. In the words of Robert Robinson, I am prone to wander.

And then I get confused. I try to will myself into becoming a better person, like I can be faithful to God by my own strength. But it’s only by surrendering to Jesus – acknowledging that I’ll never be strong enough on my own – that I have any hope of conquering my sin. That’s not to say that I’m giving up on fighting temptation or trying to do good! Rather, I’m giving in to God, asking him for intervention and regeneration.

In the midst of it all, God is patient with me. No matter how many times I fail, the Lord welcomes me back with his unconditional, unending love. As I grow closer to Jesus he redirects my heart, conforming my will to his. So I fix my eyes on him and persevere. Even if it takes my whole life (ok, it will take longer than a lifetime), he deserves everything I have to offer. After all, he gave me himself first.

Sooooooooo yeah. I love Jesus. And this song is about that.

Lyrics:
Don’t look now, I missed the mark again
How could I let this happen?
I told myself never again

But this old man, he’s creeping up
And I’m not sure I’m strong enough
To ward him off, he’s powerful

And I know I said that I would change
But the more I try, the more I stay the same

I fought it off for as long as I could
And all this time I told myself I’d be good
But I’m so tired of fighting alone
I’ll never be strong enough on my own

But then you came along and you changed it all
You got me outside myself
And it’s wonderful surrendering

You change my outlook, redirect my heart
You give me a brand new start
You always do, and it’s beautiful

And this time, I know that I have changed
In my bones I know I’ll never be the same

So I’m giving in, but I’m not giving up
I’m laying it down for the one I love
Because I’ve found a reason to live
And you deserve everything that my heart can give

You can stream and purchase Flight Metaphor via Bandcamp, iTunes, and Spotify.

Song Explanation: Hold Fast

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
– Hebrews 12:1-3

Hold Fast is a song that I sat on for a couple years before I did anything with it. Even then, I thought that it had an old school Remedy / Remedy Drive vibe, so I was elated when David Zach agreed to contribute his vocal talents on the recording. David is a good friend, and Flight Metaphor has shared the stage with Remedy Drive several times over the years. It was awesome to finally work together on something!

This song is a special one for me because I wrote it with one of my students, Connor Anderson, in mind. As a youth pastor, I’ve had the privilege of seeing many young men and women mature from snot-nosed 6th graders (God love ’em) into thoughtful, upstanding adults. When I started working on the lyrics to Hold Fast, I decided I wanted to encourage my students to stand firm in their faith as they transition from high school into adulthood. However, as I wrote, I found myself thinking specifically about Connor. I’ve known Connor since he was in pre-school, and over the years I’ve come to view him not only as a student but as a dear friend. Hold Fast was penned in the months leading up to his high school graduation, so I decided to dedicate the song to him.

It’s a fun pop rock tune – so much so that we were calling it “The Woah Song” leading up to the album’s release. Hold Fast is a fine title, but I’m still somewhat partial to just writing “Woah Song” on our set lists.

As for Connor, I’m happy to report that two years later his head is still screwed on straight, and he continues to pursue a deeper faith in Jesus 🙂

Lyrics:
Hold fast, you’ve got to keep your feet planted
Dig in those heels
Sometimes it gets so hard to endure
But you’re not alone

Come on and face the light, give it another try
Give words to what your heart must sing
You never were alone, your life is not your own
Lean in to what the future brings

Focus, I think you’re getting distracted
Don’t lose your mind
Purpose is found in every moment
You’ll see in time
Open your eyes

Don’t walk away
Your story still remains unfinished
There’s more to say
Don’t cut it short, don’t rob yourself
There’s so much potential

You can stream and purchase Flight Metaphor via Bandcamp, iTunes, and Spotify.