A Song for When… It’s Time to Shift Your Focus
Did you read “Romeo & Juliet” in high school? My world literature class of ninth graders is reading this currently, and as part of our prep, we were reviewing some basic terms such as characterization, dialogue, protagonist, antagonist, etc. Surely you recall what a protagonist is! The official definition I give my students is: the main character in a piece of literature.
Next question… Who is the protagonist in your own life story? Sooo often, my answer to this question is, “Me.” And then I get checked by life’s circumstances and remember that the main character in my story is not me, it’s God. A new-ish song from Elevation Worship has become my go-to song to sing when I need to recalibrate mentally and turn my eyes off myself and onto Jesus. It’s called, “Jesus Be The Name.” If I had to sum up the song’s lyrics in one thought, I would just say they remind me that He should be getting all of the glory in/through my life.
Don’t you just love it when Scripture is intentionally woven into song lyrics? Read this wonderful verse:
I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. -Psalm 34:1
Now look at the first verse’s lyrics:
Jesus … Jesus … I could sing Your name for all my life … And still find more to love each time … Jesus be the name ever on my lips … It’s sweeter every time that I call on it
Ahhhh to live with that objective—to have Jesus’ name ever on your lips. Is that true for you today? Are you so tuned into God that His name comes naturally spilling out of your mouth in conversations you’re having with friends, family, coworkers, etc? Are your eyes so firmly fixed on Him that when difficult times present themselves, you speak out His name in prayer before whining, complaining, venting, panicking or speaking in fear? Or what about the good times! Are you so full of gratitude that when you’re feeling happy and blessed, your first instinct is to thank God for His goodness?
As I reflect on my own personal tendencies, I think about how much more often I could be speaking the name of Jesus, whether to the people around me or simply to myself. Jesus’ name is the sweetest of all! Let’s pray and ask God to help us be so infatuated with Him that His name is constantly on our lips.
A lot of the other lyrics throughout the song bring powerful reminders of WHO Jesus is and WHY His name is indeed worthy of our infatuation.
You have been the friend who never left … I won’t forget Your faithfulness … Jesus, Your name is like the morning light … The One the darkness can’t deny … The Resurrection and the Life, Jesus … Jesus, Your name can save, Your name can heal … Your name can make the storm be still … You never fail, You never will, Jesus
(Now if you haven’t heard this song before, imagine it building… Getting louder and louder, slowly but surely!)
Jesus, the Bread of Life, broken for us … The wounded and the worthy One … The first and last and soon to come, Jesus … Jesus, the King who overwhelmed the grave … The Lord who will forever reign … The name above all other names, Jesus
The name above ALL other names!! That’s our Jesus! The ultimate protagonist. We know this!! But it’s so easy to forget. Well, I’ll speak for myself, at least, and say that it’s definitely easy for me to forget. I think that’s why the repetitive parts of this song feel so helpful. They go like this:
There’s just something ‘bout Your name (oh, Jesus) … There’s just something ‘bout Your name … There’s just something ’bout Your name … That makes me cry, “Holy” … There is no other name (I know) … There is no other name … There is no other name … Jesus, You’re worthy (yes, You are)
Does repetition help you really engrain things into your mind and spirit? Especially with music, if a certain line gets stuck in my mind that I end up humming all day long, then the words of that line are also being repeated in my heart all day long! Here are a couple other lines Elevation Worship sings repetitively in this song:
Oh, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name … Oh, Jesus be the name that gets all the glory … Oh, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name … Oh, Jesus be the name that gets all the glory (Jesus) … Oh, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name (above it all) … Jesus be the name that gets all the glory … Oh, Jesus be the name, Jesus be the name … Oh, Jesus be the name that gets all the glory
Over and over and over again! Because when our eyes turn to ourselves over and over and over again, we need to reorient them on Jesus over and over and over again. He is the main character in your life story, and there could be no better possible set-up for you. Let His name be ever on your lips today. His name is the highest and best! May He be the one who gets all the glory in your life story.