Make Room

I’m not sure I’ve ever come across two more dangerous words. I’ve been listening to the set this morning, pouring over all the notes and movements that occur in the front, in the middle, toward the end…and I found it interesting that I kept thinking, “We need more space.”  

And then, on my Spotify playlist, Make Room comes on. The song cascading into my ears, invading, consuming any and all the sound around me (thanks in-ears at Starbucks).

 

I will make room for you. I didn’t even get fifteen seconds into the song, and I am confronted with a choice. I will… I WILL make room. Again, it’s dangerous because of these type of phrases—these words in particular. Am I making that decision daily? And here’s the ironic thing about making room. When I need to make more room anywhere or with anything (an actual room, in my schedule, or in a planning center set), it means taking something out. 

 

The question embedded in the decision is this: What else crowds out the room? The room of my mind? The room of my heart? The room of my spirit? What’s in there that takes me further away from Jesus—not closer? What hurts, what past mistakes keep me congested? What’s the thing that keeps me from MORE of Jesus?

 

It is certainly not to judgement—because I am at the front of the line—the chief sinner as Paul said, but its only something you can answer. I have mine and you have yours. Again, the song says, this is MY surrender… as in, I can’t do it for you, and you can’t do it for me.

 

The sad reality of how we live today is that there is so much noise—so much distraction. It’s actually quite easy to justify pushing Jesus out. He’s inconvenient at times. He makes us live differently than the world around us. He challenges us to go against the flow—not to be in prideful opposition of the hurting and those unlike us—but to hold to the conviction of His Word, while equally loving those far from Him. 

 

And passage that stands out to me…in both versions is Romans 12:2. In the Message, the language is quite beautiful and cutting…

 

So, here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

 

Shake up the ground, of all my tradition, 

break down the walls of all my religion, 

Your way is better…

 

It may be more familiar in the ESV…

 

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

 

Chris Caine says it this way, and every time, I chuckle at it. She says, “It doesn’t say by the removal of your mind, but renewal.” God has given us the ability to think, to feel, to process…and ultimately, to use those abilities to choose His way…to make room for Him. In every setting, at every twist and turn—regardless of if it’s popular or feels good. 

 

Lastly, for a fun bit of irony, to jump back into the lyrics, it gets into a curious space as these words ring out…

 

Do what You want to // Move how You want to

 

If you are like me at all, perhaps you thought, “Does this sound like we are giving permission to God to do this or that?” As in, we retain control or give permission to a wild and creative and holy God? The fact is, God can, has, and will do whatever He wants to do. We are puny in every sense possible. To me, this lyric ties back to Romans 12:2. It’s a confession or decision to be transformed. It’s a way for us to not conform to the world around us. It echoes the very words of Jesus: Not my will, but Your be done (see Matthew 26:39).

 

It really is all about surrender. To surrender our attitudes, our perspectives, our opinions, our admission that our way might not always be the best way…and that His way is better. And not just sometimes, but in all settings. His way will, has and always will be, better. Because it’s not about what we want, but what He wants.

 

And can you imagine what it would look like, as a body of believers, if we fixed our energies on this idea alone? What if our first response, perhaps our only response, was to surrender? To hold up the white flag and confess, “It’s You Jesus, and only You.”? 

 

Sure, its aspirational and a prayer for sure, but just because it seems far-fetched doesn’t mean it is. And it starts with a declaration. One that is dangerous, because though God will always do whatever He wants to, the moment we hold up the flag of surrender, He takes immediate notice. So, don’t be surprised when He starts doing the thing you are asking him to do in your life, or the life of our church. His way is better.

 

Ahem (clears throat), long story short, leading worship isn’t for the faint of heart…and neither is a life of surrender in Christ. 😊