It is counter-cultural to love God more than others
It is counter-cultural to love God more than others
by Joel Howard
"Well I pledge my wife to Heaven, for the gospel
Though our love each passing day just seems to grow
As I told her when we wed, I'd surely rather be found dead
Than to love her more than the one who saved my soul"
Though our love each passing day just seems to grow
As I told her when we wed, I'd surely rather be found dead
Than to love her more than the one who saved my soul"
- Keith Green, Pledge my head to heaven
When we choose God over man
man's words, man's glance, man's priorities, man's opinions
When we select to prioritize Jesus and his love over the fear of man
man's eyes, man's voice, man's anger, man's choice
When we put Abba first above the glory of man
man's laughter, man's sorrow, man's money, from man to borrow
When we teach our sons to esteem the Father above their friends
man's jealousy, man's weakness, man's vulnerabilities, man's meekness
When we choose to turn our face to the Almighty versus looking downward
at man's clothes, man's food, man's temper, man's mood
When we decide to keep in step with the Spirit over submitting to man's rule
man's decrees, man's beliefs, what man seeks, the air man breathes
When we do this once and again
When we, like Daniel, bow to pray in the face of leaders' threats
When we, like Joseph, share our dream and are thrown to the pit
When we, like David, sing our song and dodge spears
When we, like Abel, give our gift despite the hatred of our brothers
When we, like Stephen, preach the gospel, to be hit by stones
When we, like Mary, pour out worship only to be scorned
When we, like Joseph, embrace our wives and ignore the talk of the community
When we, like Abraham, choose to believe God despite the odds
When we, like Peter, feed God's sheep only to be hanged on a cross
When we, like Mary, raise a son to see him die for the world
When we do this once and again
We have broken every rule of men
We have upset the faces of the world
We have spoiled the popular voice
We have died to ourselves and made a choice
We've embraced the Savior's scars
Not just the blessings, but the wounds
Not just the ups, but the downs
Not just the successes, but the blows
Not just the life, but in death
We have come to know our Christ
But broken every rule in life
According to this sinful world
According to the ways of man
We will never again belong
Until the final curtain is drawn
And His heaven comes down
With the saints we gather around
Only then will people fully see
Jesus Christ alive in me
'Twas his pen who wrote on my heart
Each story's chapter, each little part
Only then will culture know
They were wrong
Fully then will Jesus be
Magnified
All at his feet
Every single face turned pale
No longer will there be a veil
It is counter-cultural to love God
More than others
Its a raw thing to love the King
It is crazy to this world
It is crazy to this world
