“This was a terrible idea.”
Several years ago, the staff I lead had just finished a significant project. We decided to celebrate the success of our work by closing the office and heading out for some fun. We booked some time at a local camp which had a giant swing. The swing raised 2-3 of us to a significant height and then, like a bungee cord quickly disconnecting, dropped us quickly toward the ground in a free fall. We would swing back and forth until our momentum ceased, and then we’d be lowered back to earth.
There was screaming, shouting, laughing, and some crying! A few of us went on the swing multiple times. However, not long after we wrapped up our time, we began to regret our decision. The problem wasn’t our decision to go on the swing. The problem was our decision to eat deep-dish pizza before we went on the swing.
Everyone was nauseous. Several of us stopped at a gas station to get a bottle of Ginger Ale, and when we returned to the office mid-afternoon, very little was accomplished.
This story came to mind while listening to an interview with LO Worship on Sadie Robertson Huff’s YouTube channel. LO Worship stands for Live Original, a part of Huff’s brand, and an annual conference for college students and young adults. In the interview, Kaylea Coates from LO Worship shared the difference between saying, “God, I surrender everything to you” and the moment when God comes for something that we hold dear. At that moment, our feelings can range somewhere between “this was a terrible idea” and “God, I’m not sure I can let that go.”
LO Worship’s song “Open” represents a heart of surrender and the reality that surrender introduces into our lives and faith. The first verse expresses what surrender requires of us.
RELATED CONTENT: LO Worship Assumes a Posture of Surrender on ‘Open’
“I lay my life down on Your altar
I want Your will and nothing less
This is the death of my ambitions
I know Your ways are always best.”
In the YouTube video I mentioned above, Coates contrasts selfish ambition and Godly ambition. Referencing a message from Christine Caine, Coates said, “Selfish ambition is about you being glorified. Godly ambition is about advancing the kingdom and God being glorified… God, I need to die to the ambition that is all about me and my name to live for You and Your glory.”
This song section reminded me of my favorite passage of Scripture as a high school student and early in my college career. In Mark 8:34-36, Jesus told his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
LO Worship returns to this theme after the chorus when they sing, “This is the start of resurrection - Where new beginnings come from death.” The idea of resurrection is popular, but Coates points out in her interview that to get resurrection, you have to have crucifixion. If we want to live a resurrection life, we must be crucified with Christ and die to ourselves.
As a pastor, I meet many people who express something like, “When I decided to follow Jesus, I didn’t expect it to be like this.” Disappointment with God is part of the fine print of the Christian life, and sometimes, hiding the hard stuff from people at the beginning doesn't do them any favors.
I love that LO Worship offers a hope-filled, authentic anthem to the next generation. The band is able to hold the honest and raw truth about what it looks like to follow Jesus and express a hopeful, joyful, and buoyant spirit of surrender.
In a world where people often want us to choose one thing or another, LO Worship invites us to resurrection people who’ve died for us. If you’re struggling to trust Jesus and surrender in some area of your life, “Open” is a song you must listen to today.
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
