Today we’re doing another “Discernment in Music” (DiM) day here at Faithful Stewardship (2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (ESV)).

August 04, 2015. Today we’ll be taking a look at “Through All of It” by Colton Dixon which currently sits at #13 on 20theCountdownMagazine’s top 20 and at #8 on the KLove top 10.

I’ve heard this song on the radio a few times, and really liked the chorus and bridge, but hadn’t really taken the time to look up the lyrics because I was sure it would climb the charts. Colton Dixon has an awesome voice and there is always top-notch production behind his music. As it turns out, this song seems stuck in neutral. It’s a pleasant song, with a simple message of “God is still my God despite my circumstances”. Let’s check it out.

VEVO Music Video

*22 December 2015: I updated the music video for this song because I wanted to use videos put out by the artist. However, there is a lot of extra dialog infused in this video…. it seems to provide some context that would otherwise be missing; however, in all of that extra dialog, the clear message of the Gospel is still missing.

Lyrcs (via KLove)

Through All Of It

There are days of taking more than I can give
And there are choices that I made that I wouldn’t make again
I’ve had my share of laughter
Of tears and troubled times
This has been the story of my life

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

You were there when it all came down on me
When I was blinded by my fear and I struggled to believe
But in those unclear moments You were the one keeping me strong
This is how my story’s always gone

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, through all of it

And this is who You are, more constant than the stars
Up in the sky, all these years, all my life
I, I look back and I see You
Right now I still do
And I’m always going to

I have won
And I have lost
I got it right sometimes, but sometimes I did not
Life’s been a journey
I’ve seen joy, I’ve seen regret
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it
Oh, and You have been my God through all of it

Publishing: © 2014 9T One Songs / Ariose Music (ASCAP) (Administered at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) / Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. / Goes Something Like THIS Music (BMI)
Writer(s): Ben Glover and Molly Reed

Discussion

As we mentioned earlier, this song is stuck in neutral. The problem with this song is in what it lacks. The song is vague as to which God it is addressing… a generic sense of “God”. It works for a Christian singing to the One True God, yes, but it also works the Mormon singing to the exalted being from Kolob (a false god). This song also lacks any clear mention of Gospel, sin, repentance, forgiveness. It fits into a very narrow path of telling God, “no matter what I’ve been through, You have been my God” with an implied “and “You will always be”.

The song doesn’t teach anything wrongly. It is a song of acknowledgement to the Sovereignty of God and of His presence in our lives despite our failures and successes… that our story is written by Him. So, today we’ll just look at what we can pour into this message to make it more grounded in Scripture:

Romans 8:22-39 (ESV)

²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. ²⁷ And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. ²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

God’s Everlasting Love

³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This holds true for each of us who are in Christ Jesus. As for those who are outside of the household of faith, they remain condemned by their unbelief.

John 3:16-18 (ESV) | For God So Loved the World

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God

This song doesn’t grant any hope for those who are lost. For those who are of the household of Faith, it can serve as a timely confession of acknowledgement to God that He is indeed in everything we experience, both in the highs and in the lows.

Conclusion

The song doesn’t stand on its own, but for those who are in Christ Jesus, it can be a reminder that God is indeed in control at all times, despite what our circumstances and senses tell us. In closing, I’d like to repeat last week’s DiM closing with Romans 15.

Romans 15:1-13 (ESV) | The Example of Christ

15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ² Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³ For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” ⁴ For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. ⁵ May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, ⁶ that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Christ the Hope of Jews and Gentiles

⁸ For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, ⁹ and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

¹⁰ And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

¹¹ And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

¹² And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

¹³ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Amen.
In Christ Jesus,
Jorge