The Way We Die Every Day

"Another crash, another fall, another failure / Another choice I don't want to remember
Been here too many times / Every day's another fight
I'm at war with the person I could be / Give me a chance and I'll mess up a good thing
But this is where it ends / Yeah, this is where it ends" — "Draw the Line" by Disciple

Has a tune ever gotten a hold of you so much that you can't stop listening to it? When "Draw the Line" by Disciple released in 2012, I couldn't stop listening. It became the anthem of my heart.

The lyrics craft a prayer for God to "burn me up" until there's nothing left but God Himself. This is how we "die to self" (Matthew 16:24). It's a commitment to stop choosing the things our sinful nature wants—things that blacken the lantern of our hearts—and let God blast His magnificent light through instead.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." —John 1:5

When We Try So Hard

"Another battle I've lost fighting solo / How many times must I learn what I already know?
Can't do this on my own / I wasn't meant to fight alone
So I'm lifting my hands in surrender / Take my faults and my flaws, make me better
Cause this is where I end / Right where You begin" — "Draw the Line" by Disciple

We try so hard to do the right thing, but no matter how much we plan, how good our intentions are, how passionately we chase, the truth is that, without God, we can do nothing (John 15:5).

But there is hope for us hopeless humans. We may not always know how to choose the right thing. That's why we Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit (John 14:26). We may not always have the strength and willpower to resist temptations. That's why, with Jesus, we can do whatever good thing God wants us to do—and more.

"I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." —Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

When We Die to Self

"This is where I draw the line / This is the where the old me dies
Light a match, let it burn, kiss it goodbye / Giving up what I was
This is where I draw the line" —"Draw the Line" by Disciple

I used to think that choosing Jesus was a one-time thing—a 180 conversion experience. But really, this "giving up what I was" thing needs to be a daily practice. I didn't become perfect when I accepted Christ as my Savior. Far from it.

Maybe I know better now. I definitely have a lot more wisdom than I did when I first became a believer. But that doesn't mean that I always automatically know what the right thing to do or say.

One of the differences between then and now is that now I know how to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me. Now I know that going against my sinful nature (making it "die") is something I must do over and over. And that's OK. Because every time my sinful desires die, something new is born.

After Death Comes Rebirth

"Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him." —Colossians 3:10 (NLT)

We must take God's hand when we feel the urge to run ahead, wander off, or pick up the trash on the side of the road. When we're on our own, we get lost. We get dirty. We get scared. We look around ourselves and wonder how we got here. We look at our smudged hands and cheeks, and we don't even recognize ourselves anymore.

But when we let our sinful urges "die" and let God have control instead, the light shines brighter on the path. Our eyes are opened. We have renewed strength. We have greater purpose, and our future becomes clearer. We get to live again—even after we've made mistakes, scraped our knees, and gotten weeds in our hair.

Every Day Brings New Life

"The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." —Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

How awesome it is that God can burn off the grime and muck we accumulate as we stumble through life? All we must do is choose to draw the line between our control and God's—letting our futile navigation efforts "die" and letting God grab our hand instead (2 Corinthians 5:17). With Him at our side, we can take off running with glorious, confident laughter.

Then, when we let go and stagger and slip, we can do it again. God won't leave our side—no matter how much we think we've gone off map (Philippians 4:19). With a grubby shoe, we can draw a line in the dirt on the road, step over to take His waiting hand again, and then we're off and running once more—with fire on our heels (Philippians 1:6).

God is powerful enough to change any heart at any time and in any circumstance. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. He can burn off the dross to reveal the purified silver inside of you (Proverbs 25:4). He can do it every day. Every hour if necessary. I believe in a God who can do that. I count on it every second. God, set me on fire.

"Burn me up, burn me up / Burn me all the way / Till there's nothing left but You / This is where I draw the line" —"Draw the Line" by Disciple

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