Finding Faith Through Music and Lyrics

“To switch your feet means to take a new stance, facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music.” Switchfoot is a Grammy nominated band that started off in the Christian rock scene but later reached mainstream recognition from the movie, A Walk To Remember.  Creating music for thinkers and Christians, Switchfoot’s lyrics tend to be full of thought provoking phrases and belief.  Although many who listen to Switchfoot are not Christian, they can relate to what message the band is trying to convey. Switchfoot, for me, brings new perspective in my life and musters up some strange sort of faith and hope. Their lyrics are my personal bible; I carry them close to heart, and keep them in mind at all times. So here are the few lyrics that bring hope and faith into my Christian lifestyle:





Twenty-Four
“I want to see miracles, see the world change.
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name.
For more than a feeling,
For more than a cause.”


I believe that everyone wants to “see miracles, see the world change”. We recycle, donate money, and help others for this purpose. Helping others “for more than a feeling, for more than a cause” is the true Christian way. In a biblical sense, these lyrics refer to the part in the bible where Jacob wrestles the angel for his faith (Genesis 32:23-34). His heart crying, his hip screaming -Jacob wouldn’t let go of the angel until he had got to see God’s face and received his new name. Throughout the song, it also refers to “the second man”, this explains who he is now, living for god.


Dare You To Move
“I dare you to move.
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor.
I dare you to move.
I dare you to move like today never happened.
Today never happened before.”


There are days that everyone needs a little push, a little lifting up. Many find themselves on the floor and helpless, in this situation I look for God. He is the one that will also be there for a that little push. I often forget that he will always forgive me  of me sins, so I sit on the floor for a while. You can either “lift yourself up off the floor” and “move like today never happened”, or you can stay down there, alongside your sins.


Learning To Breath
“I could use a fresh beginning too.
All of my regrets are nothing new.
So this is the way that I say I need you.”


Fresh beginnings are always remarkable. Being able to restart, and forget everything allows anyone to feel relived of old regrets, bed decisions, and tainted memories. “This is the way that I say I need you” is an easy way of saying: God, I submit to you. I give myself to you. Day in and day out, many try to rely on themselves. We often forget that through life is Christ - all good things come from him and believers should not hesitate to rely on him completely.


Meant To Live
“Maybe we’ve been living with our eyes half open.
Maybe we’re bent and broken, broken.
We were meant to live for so much more.
Have we lost ourselves?”


Ignorant and choosing what we see, “we live with our eyes half open”. In our society today, many dismiss the major problems that are happening everyday like hunger, hate, and war. “We were meant to live for so much more” than stupid, petty things. We have forgotten what is important to existing such as family, love, hope and faith. In doing so, “we [have] lost ourselves”. Allowing the Lord into our lives, many can eliminate hate and find hope.


You
“I find peace when I’m confused,
And I find hope when I’m let down.
Not in me, me.
In you.
It’s in you.”


God is always faithful to us, even when we suffer. Finding ways to get us through, the Lord give us peace when being confused, and hope when being discouraged. Surrendering ourselves to god, we find who we really are. In general, this song is strictly about the lord, and his willingness to help us through finding who we really are.