From the Inside Out...

Something different... A song.

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Neverending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Hillsong United. A youth rally/Sunday morning altar call classic. And I would know this, because it just so happens to be one of my all-time favorite songs...

It's not hard to see why this particular song is so wide-known and well-played. Each and every line tells a truth that should be applied to many people's lives, mine included.

I've failed, God hasn't. He is everlasting and neverending, not I.

It's as plain and simple as that. The song goes on to say...

The cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out of my soul, cries out Lord

Sometimes I wonder how true that is. Do I really, always strive to bring the Lord praise? I know for a fact that He always saves the day for me when I stumble. He keeps His side of the promise, but it's sometimes difficult to realize that I don't always return the favor.

Hello! News flash! I'm talking about the same God who created me! He made me.

It's very easy to surrender to God when the lights are down low and a rockin' band leader is praying profoundly, as his band members play - what else?! - "From the Inside Out" softly in the background. Very easy. It's easy to get lost in your own words as you're singing along, and thinking Lord, I give it all to you.

It's just as easy the day after, when you're still on a Jesus-high from the night before. But fast forward some more; three weeks later, when you're sitting in school and becoming tempted to cuss out the guy who's sitting behind you with his feet up on your chair.

Then what? Are you going to turn around and say "I only want to bring God praise, so would you please get your bleeping feet off my bleepety bleep chair and bleep off"?!

Point being, our words and actions may not be as terrible as my example, but even thinking thoughts that don't bring honor to God can be just as terrible as that.

So here's the hooker: why don't I live every day like I stand at those youth rallies, with arms raised high and singing at the top of my lungs to my Savior?!

I guess it just has to do with the way I think. If I don't consider it, and don't consider the impression I'm leaving, then glorifying the Lord is just one of those things that slips my mind. And when I think about it in that light, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that should just "slip your mind."

"The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory." 
- Isaiah 60:19

Let's take this to a more literal sense. Who in the world would want to live a light-less life? Umm, no one! It would be impossible to see, to learn, to create, to exist.

So if physical darkness was what was really at stake here, I can almost bet that everyone on this earth would turn their hearts, thoughts, words and actions to Jesus Christ.

Letting the cry of my heart be bringing God praise isn't always the easiest thing to do. It doesn't always seem to be the most logical idea. Most times our first instinct in a tough situation isn't to glorify God. Yet, since He is on the inside, what's wrong with showing the world that you will praise him on the outside too?