A Blog About A Song and My Attitude

Following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, worship leader and song writer Matt Redman co-wrote the song "Blessed Be Your Name" with his wife Beth. Matt has shared that he was struck by the lack of songs within the church that respond appropriately to pain and suffering. This song became very popular within churches and Christian events and it became a sort of modern hymn or anthem for the church.

This really is a beautiful song and I cannot stand it. I get so frustrated when this song is played because I am not sure I really mean it when I sing it. It should be easy right, "Blessed Be Your Name In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name" but what about when it says, "Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name" I mean really....really? Do I mean it? This song more than any for me really challenges me to think about what I am singing. It is so easy to praise God when we are experiencing blessings, but can we say it when we experience pain? There is a line in the song that says, "You give and take away; my heart will choose to say blessed be your name." This line more than anything is what I struggle with... I do not want God to take anything away, my human self wants simply to receive his gifts and blessings.

This song is influenced by the passage of Job, a familiar story where Job is bombarded with devastation in all aspects of life. He loses a source of income, he loses his friends, he even loses people in his family. His wife even tells him , "why don't you just curse God and die?" Job simply does not budge, he trusts in God, he says, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. May the name of the Lord be praised." That my friends is worship, what a statement.

The next time this song is played at church I am going to try and have a more open heart. It is such a beautiful representation of the attitude we should strive to have as Christians. I think it is okay to be honest and there are times that we do not want to praise God, it's hard. If we were to be honest with ourselves I think we could say that often want something from God, and that is okay, Jacob was upfront he had a list of things he wanted from God. But at some point we will learn all we want is God, and then we really will be able to say, "Lord Blessed Be Your Name."

JS