Somewhere In The Middle

Based on the song ’Somewhere In The Middle’ by Casting Crowns

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Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

We’ve all been there, that one time when you are caught in the middle, between what you know is right and the curiosity within you which urges you to do what your heart knows you shouldn’t.

Sometimes, being the good guy just doesn’t seem to pay. Everyone calls you a goody two shoes, their scornful laughter piercing your very being. And so, even though you know what they do is wrong, you feel extremely tempted to join them just to be accepted, because when you came to Christ and He took over, your life changed and your friends couldn’t deal with it.

This is when we find ourselves torn between wanting to please man, and wanting to let the Potter mould us into beautiful vases.

 

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Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves
Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

We tend to find ourselves longing for more. We want what others have, and we constantly forget that what God has given us is the very best for us.

We say, “Lord, I trust in You to map out my future”, but then we go ahead with whatever plan seems best at the moment without looking to Him for guidance.

We hear the soft still voice of the Holy Spirit nudging us along the straight and narrow path, but there’s a louder voice speaking inside of us, telling us it’s okay to ignore God just this once. And for a moment, we hesitate, not knowing which voice to listen to.

We go to the altar of God in church once a week, and there we seek forgiveness. There we put on a mask and be truly repentant for the week that passed. But when we step out the doors of the church, do we go back to square one? Do we turn back to our old nature? Where did that repentant heart go?

The blessings of the Lord are sufficient to give us peace and calm and true joy. The love of God is sufficient to sustain us and to give us a reason for living. We look around us, and everything seems safe and nice. Then we look outside at everyone else, and even though we know that their activities are dangerous, they look like they are having fun. We want the luxury that others have. We want the kind of material comfort they enjoy. We want the excitement and exhilaration that they experience, even if we probably shouldn’t take part in it. Somehow, having the peace and joy of God just doesn’t seem to be enough.

 

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Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control
Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle

We want to be in control of our circumstances. We want a God whom we can keep in a box and take Him out when we need Him, the same way you would treat a magic lamp holding a genie. And yet, we know full well that God doesn’t work that way. God wants so much to be the most significant part of our lives.

Our mouths say we surrender all to Him and we lay our lives at His feet, but our hearts tell a different story. Our minds limit the work of God in our lives by placing mortal limitations in front of an infinite God.

We say “Let Your will be done”, but we cling stubbornly to our own vision of how our future must look like. We say “You know what’s best for me”, but we go around telling God what we want Him to do for us.

 

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Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

Even through all those times, God proves time and time again that He is a faithful God, that He will never abandon us. He understands how confused we are and He knows that it is at times like that, that we need Him even more.

God is good, and He will never forsake us.

The question is, will we make a stand for Him? Or will we choose to leave Him?

Lest We Forget.

A few years back, this was the theme of the Easter conference in my church, 'Lest We Forget'.

The theme came from a song entitled "Lest I Forget", and the chorus went something like this:

Lest I forget Gethsemane,

Lest I forget Thy agony,

Lest I forget Thy love for me,

Lead me to Calvary.

It's so easy to forget. We're so used to hearing it over and over again, we become complacent and never truly remember the weight of such a sacrifice.

The Son of God Himself, came down as a man, and gave His life up for us sinners. He didn't have to, but He did it because He loved us so much. Not just today, because it's Good Friday, but every day of our lives, every moment we have breath.

Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but He lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Are we living for Jesus?

Do we remember what He did for us and what it means?

Or is it just the same old story?

Romans 5:6-8

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Everything To Me.

Remember that we're here to make a difference.

Why? Because Jesus called us out of the world to be the salt and light.

His love will always inspire us to strive to make a difference. It doesn't have to be something big, it just has to come from a heart full of a greater love, God's love. :)

Keep Singing

I was in the library, thinking about how busy everyone is, what with FESNI and FESKOTT. And I remembered how some people told me that they feel so down, so disappointed with what was happening, so on and so forth.

It reminded me of a song by a Christian band, MercyMe and their song “Keep Singing”.

We all go through ups and downs in life. It is easy to live life when we are at the peaks, but when we go through the valleys, all we want to do is give up, because the door to a brighter tomorrow seems so far away.

But think about it, why give up? Our dear Father will never give up on us. He’s always there, walking right next to us, lifting us up above our troubles. Just look to Him for strength. Walk with Him. Let Him hold your hand and guide you.

Keep singing to Him. Bring your troubles and lay them at His feet. Draw near to Him, even in times of difficulty. You will not regret it.

When the going gets tough, go to Jesus. =)

Another rainy day
I can't recall having sunshine on my face
All I feel is pain
All I wanna do is walk out of this place

But when I am stuck and I can't move
When I don't know what I should do
When I wonder if I'll ever make it through

 

I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
You’re the one that's keeping my heart beating
I gotta keep singing
I gotta keep praising Your name
That's the only way that I'll find healing

 

Can I climb up in Your lap
I don't wanna leave
Jesus sing over me
I gotta keep singing

 

Can I climb up in Your lap
I don't wanna leave
Jesus sing over me

Oh You're everything I need
And I gotta keep singing

Where Else Can I Go?

You are the source of life
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You

Cause I need You Jesus
Come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name by
Which I am saved
Capture me with grace

I will follow You


As youths approaching the edge of teenhood, we are perhaps going through the stage of finding our own identity, learning and discovering about ourselves as we become more independant and are shoved with responsibilities. Heavy ones. There are many things that used to be our parents' responsibilites for us, but now, it seems like we took it off them, and they now become OUR jobs, entirely.

It's very easy to get distracted by the things of this world. Our attention is easily taken away by the satisfaction that the culture of our world has taught us to appreciate, and are believed to make us "hip and cool". This age, we want to see new things, try new things, and we become so easily impured. Even looking at a person with lust is a huge sin by itself. Although only you yourself and God knows what you did, it's still a huge sin, and it can pull you to deeper immoralities.

But, we all probably went through this period where we abandon God, and search for happiness in other things. It makes us feel empty, yet through that period, we keep telling ourselves, "There's definitely something I can find here." But in the end, you come back messed up, confused, lost, scatterbrained.

That's when this song relates to you, where it says, "Where else can I go?"

Do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14

You may take it as "missionary dating", where you try to get your other half believe God, AFTER you become a couple. But, truth is, how sure are you that he/she WILL believe? That's not your part to play, but theirs. This is one of the main temptations and is part of "trying new things" as growing youths with raging hormones, and mounting curiosities.

Hence, look to God, and ask for His wisdom in every decision that you make, whether big or small, because we want to walk in the best path of life, so that at the end of your life, you can be satisfied with what you have accomplished, as you have made your journey with your Creator, who knows you better than you know yourself =)