A church-inspired epiphany

Go ahead and press play on this one. It’s beautiful, and it’s the best soundtrack I can think of for this post.

This past week at Athens Church, Louie Giglio spoke about “songs in the key of life.” The key of life concept goes back to something Louie has emphasized for years—that life’s trials and tribulations are a megaphone for your beliefs, for your values and ultimately for God himself. It’s easy to keep God’s soundtrack playing when your life is playing in the key of Cmajor, cruising along with no hiccups. But what happens when you hit Dminor? Because you know they will. They always do.

In my own life, I’ve never once doubted the fact that God loves me and that he has blessed me beyond measure. I’ve never had to worry about any of the necessities of life. I have phenomenal friends who love me to death and whom I love to death as well. I have loving and nurturing parents, and an extended family that’s not too shabby either. I’ve been given great gifts and great talents, and I’ve begun discovering that these can be used to advance the kingdom of God. All I have to do is tune my radio into his soundtrack and become a part of the grand story.

And the epiphany came when Louie spoke of burdens. I think I finally put a major piece of this whole God puzzle together on Sunday.

We humans have our own burdens to weigh us down in this world. And we are easily wearied, easily beaten down. Now imagine if our personal burdens were literally the weight of the world on our shoulders. Imagine how heavily that would weigh on us. Needless to say it would crush us immediately. We’d lose the will to live and the ability to go on.

But that’s not what happened to Jesus. He took every burden we have ever had or ever will have—of everyone who has, is and will ever live—and placed them squarely on his shoulders. He took them all away from us so that we may soar.

What a beautiful sight

This, I think, is what Isaiah means in Verses 30 & 31 of Chapter 40:

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah knows that life will bear down on us. He knows that everyone will stumble and crash sometimes. But he also knows that, because Jesus has taken care of all of our burdens already, we are able to soar like we are meant to.

Simply put, the Lord never meant for this beautiful life to beat us down constantly. When he designed us, he didn’t want us to hang our heads every day. He wants to see us soar. Succeed and find happiness. And he knows we can only do this if he takes off whatever holds us down and keeps us down.

So he sent Jesus. No one else could’ve borne the weight that he did. And that’s why he alone could do it.

So keep your head up! Spread your wings like those eagles. Soar.

And, bringing it all back to the music: I’d like to think the key of my life is something beginning in a glorious G key, with a triumphant change into the key of A for my final chorus and fade out.

For more religious inspiration, check out JungleJon’s thoughts here.