If someone were to ask me what I felt was the most powerful song, or the one that speaks the most to people, I would have to say 'Camouflage Soul' by All Together Separate. I know this is kind of a weird way to start out a blog, but hopefully you will see the reason why. If you would like to hear the song you can do a search on the net, or go to MySpace and find them on my own page or on All Together Separate's . If you don't care to listen, here are the lyrics:
Camouflage Soul
Another chance has come and gone
And I allowed my faith to fade into the background
How can I claim to be like your Son
And keep hanging on to what I knowHe died to free me from?
I'm tired of blending in
I'm tired of being one of the crowd
While everyone knows my name
Nobody knows my God
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
I finally realize the danger in sitting on the sidelines
Conformity is failure
I have the disguise to look the part
But I don't want to wear Your cross around my neck
And not have Your peace in my heart
I'm tired of blending in
I'm tired of being one of the crowd
While everyone knows my name
Nobody knows my God
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
I've got a change of heart
And I won't change my mind
I'm ready for a brand new start
Now I've got to change my life
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
Isn't that a good song? Now, you may be asking, "Jason, that was a great song, you DO have an ear for good music, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Well, if you have a Bible handy, (if you don't, no big deal), turn over to Romans chapter 12. Go to verse 2. I have the New Living Translation, so if yours reads differently, don't freak out!
Well, if you have a Bible handy, (if you don't, no big deal), turn over to Romans chapter 12. Go to verse 2. I have the New Living Translation, so if yours reads differently, don't freak out!
Romans 12:2 says:
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The New International Version says:
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And finally, The Message has the passage like this:
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I gave 3 different translations because I like to read how passages can be put into different perspectives. Each person might take something different from each of the different translations. I digress. I think this song and this passage go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Dictionary.com shows the meaning of conformity as:
action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
You see, when Paul was writing to the Romans, he was telling them not to be like the rest of the world. Paul himself was guilty of this early in his life. He spent his time persecuting the early christians. He was very caught up in the legalistic religion that the Jews were a part of. It took Jesus meeting him on the road to Damascus and renewing his mind for him to break away from the pattern of the time. After that meeting with Christ, he was no longer a slave to the world* and it's laws.
He became conformed to the mind of Christ. He was then in one accord with God. This set him apart from the rest of the world, and he paid for it. He was arrested and beaten because he did not allign with the thoughts of the religious leaders. Despite him spending so much time in prison, he never went back to his old way of thinking. He never took his eyes off of Christ, and the price He paid for him.
I think we as christians need to take this passage and this song and apply it to our lives.The first verse of the song talks about the frustration of knowing that you had the opportunity to stand out, to let God's light shine through you by standing strong in your faith. Instead you let your situation get the best of you, and God is pushed to the back of the room. Like a hunter in the woods with all of his Camo gear on, your faith just becomes part of the scenery. I am 100% guilty of this!!! I work in and have worked in several jobs where it was uncool or not 'manly' enough or something to be a christian. I allowed myself to get caught up in the gossiping (yes firemen do gossip), or the negative talk, crude jokes, or just plain being mean and hateful to people. Even though I don't cuss alot or do alot of the things that people I have worked with in the past do, i don't think I have let my faith stand out. Instead of being the hunter with the BRIGHT orange clothes on, I was a bush in the woods.
When the second verse says "I have the disguise to the look the part, but I don't want to wear your cross around my neck and not have Your peace in my heart." How many of us have, or seen someone, who is wearing a cross necklace or have a christian fish/bumpersticker on their car, and act in a way that would make God shake his head in disgust or flip you the bird because you cut them off in traffic, only to cut the next person off. I think the crosses and the 'WWJD' bracelets, and the bumpersticker/fishes, (I have a fish on my car) are cool. Some of them are even fashionable. Some people who wear the crosses, wear them because they are fashionable. But when we as christians are wearing them as a badge of our faith, we need to make sure that we are showing the true meaning of that cross, or doing exactly what Jesus would do.
Please know that I am not writing this as I look down my nose at everyone around me. I am writing this as I look in the mirror. That is why this blog is called 'Face in the Mirror'. It is a reflection of myself. I hope that others can see themselves in it. It is not my place to see this in others, only myself. My goal is to get to the point where when I look in the mirror, I see the face of Christ.
Do not worry about being different or labeled as weird. Christ and his followers were thought to be crazy or demon possessed. The bible tells us to be in the world not of the world. So if we are different because of our faith, then thank God. I hope this helped someone, it is certainly something I need to hear daily. If there is anything I can do for any of you please let me know. Have a great day and may God bless you more than you can imagine.
Jason
*God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world 1 Corinthians 7:23
He became conformed to the mind of Christ. He was then in one accord with God. This set him apart from the rest of the world, and he paid for it. He was arrested and beaten because he did not allign with the thoughts of the religious leaders. Despite him spending so much time in prison, he never went back to his old way of thinking. He never took his eyes off of Christ, and the price He paid for him.
I think we as christians need to take this passage and this song and apply it to our lives.The first verse of the song talks about the frustration of knowing that you had the opportunity to stand out, to let God's light shine through you by standing strong in your faith. Instead you let your situation get the best of you, and God is pushed to the back of the room. Like a hunter in the woods with all of his Camo gear on, your faith just becomes part of the scenery. I am 100% guilty of this!!! I work in and have worked in several jobs where it was uncool or not 'manly' enough or something to be a christian. I allowed myself to get caught up in the gossiping (yes firemen do gossip), or the negative talk, crude jokes, or just plain being mean and hateful to people. Even though I don't cuss alot or do alot of the things that people I have worked with in the past do, i don't think I have let my faith stand out. Instead of being the hunter with the BRIGHT orange clothes on, I was a bush in the woods.
When the second verse says "I have the disguise to the look the part, but I don't want to wear your cross around my neck and not have Your peace in my heart." How many of us have, or seen someone, who is wearing a cross necklace or have a christian fish/bumpersticker on their car, and act in a way that would make God shake his head in disgust or flip you the bird because you cut them off in traffic, only to cut the next person off. I think the crosses and the 'WWJD' bracelets, and the bumpersticker/fishes, (I have a fish on my car) are cool. Some of them are even fashionable. Some people who wear the crosses, wear them because they are fashionable. But when we as christians are wearing them as a badge of our faith, we need to make sure that we are showing the true meaning of that cross, or doing exactly what Jesus would do.
Please know that I am not writing this as I look down my nose at everyone around me. I am writing this as I look in the mirror. That is why this blog is called 'Face in the Mirror'. It is a reflection of myself. I hope that others can see themselves in it. It is not my place to see this in others, only myself. My goal is to get to the point where when I look in the mirror, I see the face of Christ.
Do not worry about being different or labeled as weird. Christ and his followers were thought to be crazy or demon possessed. The bible tells us to be in the world not of the world. So if we are different because of our faith, then thank God. I hope this helped someone, it is certainly something I need to hear daily. If there is anything I can do for any of you please let me know. Have a great day and may God bless you more than you can imagine.
Jason
*God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world 1 Corinthians 7:23
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