The Struggle

"The Struggle" - Tenth Avenue North

There's a wreckage, there's a fire

There's a weakness in my love

There's a hunger I can't control

Lord, I falter and I fall down

Then I hold on to the chains You broke

When You came and saved my soul

Save my soul

Hallelujah

We are free to struggle

We're not struggling to be free

Your blood bought and

Makes us children

Children, drop your chains and sing

So why, Lord, do I still fail

Do I wear thin

Why do I still give into temptation

On my own, I am bankrupt

I don't trust You or take You at Your word

What You've promised

Hallelujah

We are free to struggle

We're not struggling to be free

You blood bought and 

Makes us children

Children, drop your chains and sing

Hallelujah, death is overcome

And we are breathing

Hallelujah, our stone hearts become

Flesh that's beating

Hallelujah, chains have been undone

And we are singing

Hallelujah, the fire has begun

Can you feel it

Hallelujah, death is overcome

And we are breathing

Hallelujah, our stone hearts become

Flesh that's beating

Hallelujah, chains have been undone

And we are singing

Hallelujah, the fire has begun

Can you feel it

Hallelujah

We are free to struggle

We're not struggling to be free

You blood bought and 

Makes us children

Children, drop your chains and sing

Tenth Avenue North came out with their newest album about a week and a half ago.
I'm not really sure what to say about it, other than go buy it right now. 

It's absolutely incredible. 

I really am having a hard time putting words together that make sense in order to explain how this album makes me feel... it's nearly impossible though. It seriously leaves me speechless. 

I needed to get my thoughts out about this one song in particular, "The Struggle", because I couldn't contain it all in my head. I needed to get it down on paper. 

This is what I came up with...

This life, the one we are constantly worrying about and finding new things to have problems with...it's something we don't even deserve. But yet we have it anyway.

This world tries to hold us captive in sin, but because of Christ and His immeasurable gift to us, we are free from those chains that sin binds us with. 

We are free. 

Yes, we are going to struggle, but we're not fighting for freedom anymore. Christ gave that to us. 

It's something that is so hard to grasp and wrap our limited minds around. 

It's too amazing. 

There's nothing we can even do to repay Him for such a gift, but all He want from us is just us. Us as we are. 

We are free to struggle. 

We are free because of what He's done for us, and we're struggling because we're not comfortable with the world anymore.

It's such a good thing that we're struggling. It means that this isn't our permanent home and we're not going to find eternal peace and comfort until we are really Home.

This world isn't our home anymore. 

Where Christ has already prepared a place for us, that is our new home. We're not there yet, but the struggle means we're going to be there eventually. 

On accident, I found these quotes by Francis Chan [in his book, "Crazy Love"] that I found to be totally relevant to everything that was filling my mind. 

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through."

"If life were stable, I'd never need God's help." 

The struggle isn't a sign of weakness. It's a sign of the most powerful strength ever, through Christ our Lord.