Live Like That
Dear FPC Youth,
I was getting ready one morning earlier this week and listening to some music on Alexa. I’m sure many of you have some sort of smart speaker in your home – I like to joke that we got ours because another female whose name starts with “A” and who doesn’t listen to me as well as I’d like was just what our house needed! Ha ha! For those who don’t know me as well, I have two very independently-minded young daughters – Abiella (who is 8) and Annalise (who is 5).
Despite her affinity for playing random Christmas songs in April and refusing to heed my commands 98% of the time, this particular morning, Alexa knew just what I needed. She played the song “Live Like That.” The children’s time message for this Sunday tells us that no matter how big we love God, God’s love for us is always bigger. Jesus came to earth to show us what love really is and we are charged with loving each other as He loved us. As I listened to the lyrics of “Live Like That,” I started to think about what that really means.
The Music Video
Song Lyrics: Live Like That
(By Sidewalk Prophets; Songwriters: Ben Glover / Ben Mcdonald / David Frey / David Douglas Frey)
Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I’m only just a memory
When I’m home where my soul belongs
Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of us
Was my worship more than just a song
I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You
If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back
I want to live like that
I want to live like that
Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true
People pass
And even if they don’t know my name
Is there evidence that I’ve been changed
When they see me, do they see You
I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You
If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back
I want to live like that
I want to live like that
I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I’m longing for the world to know the glory of the King
I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You
If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back
I want to live like that
I want to live like that, I want to live like that
For Reflection and Discussion
- Are there any particular lines/parts of the song that stand out to you? Why?
- What do you think is the significance of the photos shown in the video? Do they seem similar throughout, or do you notice any differences in the people shown?
- One of my favorite lines in the song is this:
Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of us
What does it mean to “show up” for Jesus?
- In John 13:34-35, Jesus tells the disciples: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
With that familiar verse in mind, consider this part of the song:
If love is who I am
Then this is where I’ll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back
Can we accept the challenge to be defined as love, and by love? What does that look like in our everyday lives? Can we be “recklessly abandoned” in the name of love?
Closing Thoughts
To live a life defined by love that points others to Jesus with reckless abandonment, holding nothing back – well that can seem like a really high bar. But notice the song never says “I am living like that” or “I do all these things all the time, so let me show you how” – no, it says “I want to live like that.” The singers are freely admitting that we are not perfect people and not everything we do each day points to God and shines the light of Jesus.
Let’s face it – we all have our short-comings, our moments of anger, doubt, or impatience where we struggle to show others, and even ourselves, love, trust, and grace. But, the song places the emphasis on the desire to live like Jesus. It challenges us to wake up each day wanting to make decisions that draw us closer to Him. When we are fueled by the drive to love like Jesus, we are given renewed enthusiasm and conviction to live the life we are called to live.
Blessings to you always,
Karen