The Unseen
It is called The Unseen and comes from the passage in 2 Corinthians 4 where is says, “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Therefore, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” This comes right after the famous passage about how we have this “all surpassing greatness” as treasure in jars of clay. That we are pressed, but not crushed; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed, etc.
When I wrote the song in college, it was about how we are wasting away on the outside, but being renewed day by day on the inside. (Which is hilarious that I wrote a song about that in college, because I definitely wasn’t wasting away very much physically. Now, at 31, I realize I’m still not really wasting away physically in comparison with what is to come). But, also, the verses of the song focused on persecution. “I am not abandoned, but I’ve been persecuted. Not destroyed, but I’ve been bruised and I’ve bled.” Which, also, is just not true. I wasn’t, and haven’t been persecuted. I’ll just be honest. And even though there are probably songs that could be written for the persecuted, at this point, I don’t think I am the one to write them.
But, I loved the bridge of the song, which talks about being renewed day by day, and I loved the beginning of the chorus, which says, “Don’t let me dictate my own fate. I want to be what you create. As this world berates treasures in jars of clay, I know I’m not the same.” It often brought to mind a different Scripture, at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 1 “But the cross is foolishness to the world…God has used the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.” The ideas that: giving up of self is going to look crazy to the world, which is obsessed with self. But, we know that the only way to save our lives is to lose them. For He is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs anything that we can achieve here. And, let’s be honest…even though we don’t admit it…every self-glorification goal will have will all come to naught. For real…we all die. A good friend of mine put it nicely: “When we see our physical bodies wasting away and stripping us of our physicality, it greatly heightens our awareness that all we have is Him.”
So, I think with those thoughts, a better crafted version of the song has been finished. Hope you enjoy!
The Unseen
I am wasting away…
When I was younger, I was living only for this life
Simply getting better at buying into lies
The cross is foolishness to those who think they live without it
But from birth we all begin our slow decay
I can see destiny’s door
But I don’t think death’s worth living for
Don’t let me dictate my own fate
I want to be what You create
As this world berates treasures in jars of clay
I know I’m not the same
Unveil the mystery degree by degree
‘Til all that’s left of me is the unseen
So you can strip me of all my earthly glory
All the temporary self-autonomy
Everyday I lose a little flesh-fueled arrogance as
Your Spirit works the miracle in me
I’m out of my control
But I want to live for the eternal
I am wasting away (x3)
On the outside (x4)
Made new day by day (x3)
On the inside (x4)
On the inside; On the inside, I’m not wasting away, away!!!