By David Brenneman
"Dear Younger Me" - MercyMe
Dear younger me
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me,
Where do I start
If I could tell you everything that I have learned so far
Then you could be
One step ahead
Of all the painful memories still running thru my head
I wonder how much different things would be
Dear younger me,
Dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you'll make cuz they're choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me
I cannot decide
Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life
Or do I go deep
And try to change
The choices that you'll make cuz they're choices that made me
Even though I love this crazy life
Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride
Dear younger me, dear younger me
If I knew then what I know now
Condemnation would've had no power
My joy my pain would've never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would've not been hard to figure out
What I would've changed if I had heard
Condemnation would've had no power
My joy my pain would've never been my worth
If I knew then what I know now
Would've not been hard to figure out
What I would've changed if I had heard
Dear younger me
It's not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me
It's not your fault
You were never meant to carry this beyond the cross
Dear younger me
You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
Every mountain every valley
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me
Thru each heartache you will see
Every moment brings you closer
To who you were meant to be
Dear younger me, dear younger me
You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are holy
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
You are righteous
You are one of the redeemed
Set apart a brand new heart
You are free indeed
It's interesting to me that while I think on another song, "Confidence" by Sanctus Real, the chorus from this song plays in my mind.
These posts are as much about the things that God tells me each day as they are about me and to me too. My friend, God does speak to people in this world, in your world too. The trouble these days is not in His speaking, but rather in our listening.
Jesus makes and keeps His promises. He promised the Disciples that when He goes He would send a helper. The Holy Spirit. We would be taught of God by Him and through Him from God's Word the Bible.
I was raised in a Christian home. We were, as Mark Lowry aptly described it, there at the Church quite as often as the Pastor was. We learned how to help others by the examples set before us.
This really wasn't understood by those we knew outside of Church. Looking back it's understandable. At the time, not so much.
This song, though, is one of my personal favorites for other reasons. While I can see a lot of growth in my life in the last half dozen to a dozen years, I sometimes wonder how life would have been had there been more obedience than disobedience in it.
If I hadn't been so distracted by so much and had leaned on Jesus more, where would I be?
I think on what God's doing right now and it makes me think of a phrase. To see something so futuristic and wonderful that's so beyond what is right now. To see it and believe that any such advances be it technology or society that differs so much from today that it's indistinguishable from magic.
I followed the logic in that song and concluded even I would probably have difficulty explaining what I am doing now to myself. What I had been called to do many decades ago wasn't possible yet.
There was really no way for it to be explained to me other than how I should have received it. I should have waited on the Lord more and been less impatient to get started.
I use a website now and then to email a future me. It sounds a bit weird but it works. Like, as an example, I could write an email now and they would only deliver it on the date that I set. It has sometimes been words of encouragement sometimes explaining some past things that have happened.
Look now at the Bible. Many believe it's out of date. It's not relevant to today's world. I couldn't agree with that at all. I made it a practice to read it even if it isn't making personal sense to me. Face it there are parts of it that really won't apply to my life. Like Judas going out and hanging himself. Or gallows being built to hang people on in my neighborhood. But the truth is, in some ways we least expect it will always speak to our soul. There's parts in it that are STILL so futuristic that we cannot wrap our minds around them yet. A set of books that old that describes future events but is so futuristic we can't grasp it now? Yes my friend, yes.
In this life the Holy Spirit teaches if we are willing to learn. His textbook is the Bible. Not self-help books. Not videos. Not anything but God's Word. There's only one set of anything that the Bible refers to that are within and outside itself to aid in growing up in Christ. Songs, hymns and Spiritual songs. That's it.
So what would I say to a younger me? If it were possible, if I could convince a younger me that I am who I was, it would be to really take the chance on reading my Bible more. Listen less to those whose opinions don't matter. The only one who's opinion matters is Jesus.
This isn't some delusional talk. I have lived through too much, heard from Him too often verbally, to dismiss anything from God. Jesus does love me, does care about me. I am on His mind all the time. My friend, the same goes for you. He was brutally beaten and tortured, humiliated, nailed to a cross and for what? What could possibly make the Son of God not cry out? What could possibly keep Him there? With a single thought He could have wiped out everything and everyone around Him on that day. He was God after all. He created everything and can just as easily wipe it out. Why? What would be the reason to endure all the sin of mankind being heaped upon Him? So much so His own Father turned away and couldn't utter a word to Him or look upon Him. What was it? Why? Aren't you curious to know?
It
Was
You.
His love for you was what held Him there.
Nothing else. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf so that we might have the chance to become sons of God.
The same opportunity that began over 2,000 years ago still stands today. Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but through Him. You. You have the same opportunity as I did decades ago to have eternal life in Christ. I don't miss a life spent entirely on me. He went through all He did...living for Him is the least that I can do.
Look at that chorus of that song again. Wouldn't you want that to describe you?
Care not what those around you think. It's between you and Jesus. His arms are open, waiting just for you.
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