Build My Life

Proclaim It!

Today’s addition to our practice of praise is “Build My Life.” It is a proclamation song. It states:

I will build my life upon your love!

What does that mean? A couple of things come to mind. Firstly, our whole existence is because of, and through the magnificent love poured out by God the Father through Jesus the Son. We owe our very beings to the great Being of Love. Paul reminds us in Romans:

And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:3-8

We do, in fact build our very lives upon the sure foundation of the love of Christ. And this brings us to the second thought: Since this is a foundational truth, it is one that bears repeating, often and long. In Paul’s famous “Armor of God” passage, (Ephesians 6) he mentions a belt. In fact, this is the first piece of armor we put on! The belt is the foundational, all-important bit, girding us round about, holding up our clothing. What is that first, most significant piec? It is truth.

Truth

We put on the Belt of Truth each and every time we proclaim the powerful truth of the love of God…that love of God, so rich, so pure, so measureless and strong. Despite how things look. No matter the pain, confusion, loss. Our God is pure love, and that, we can take to the bank. As we proclaim it, we remind our own wavering souls of this higher truth, the one that can co-exist with the struggles we face in our lives. In proclaiming it, we also take a stand in the heavenly realms. We state it: and in this is our warfare. We fight, girded with the truth of the Gospel of Love. We take ground in this war, by beleiving the truth over and above the lies that pervade.

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace;

in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Song Progression

After the verses and the first half of the chorus lift up the Lord in worship, the second half of the chorus prays for others. In this prayer, we sing/pray that we might really see our neighbors, and focus this love we have from God, upon others, upon “those around me”.