Wild Things

There is a song by Andy Mineo that speaks to my heart and captured my ears the first time I ever heard it. The song has an incredible beat, but if you're not from this generation or into this kind of music, upon your first listen you may be turned off. I listen to the album Heroes for Sale by Andy Mineo while I drive in the car. Sometimes, my mom will get in the passenger seat while I drive and I get control of the music. I have played this song so many times, and each time she is annoyed with it and does not want to listen to 'that kind of music'. Another time I had left the song playing when I turned the car off and when my dad got in the next time we went to drive somewhere, his words were along the lines of 'what is this? we don't need to listen to this kind of music'. It's so funny how we miss so many things in life by simply just not giving them a chance or judging them before ever really knowing. This goes for so many things; people, music, new food, the list goes on. We judge before we ever give the person, the song, the new sandwich, a chance. 

But yesterday, my mom got in the car to drive to work after I had been using it the night before. I left this album playing and so when she got in, the song Wild Things was playing. This is the same song that both my mom & my dad did not ever want to give a chance, simply because they did not like the sound of it at first. However, yesterday my mom listened to the song in it's entirety. And she cried. This song moved her to tears and this is why. 

Jesus's mission on earth was to live among us until the time came where He would make the ultimate sacrifice that would wipe us of all our past sins and future sins, forever. But while He was here, He healed people, He spent time with the outcasts, the losers, the loners, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, all those who were considered unimportant or those who society had stopped either caring about, hated or outcasted. He brought life & hope to everyone. Jesus spent time with the people whom religious leaders did not want to associate themselves with. He went out of His way to speak to them, purposefully. His said Himself that 'It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick' (Luke 5:31). This means that He did not come for those who had it all together and who abided by the rules and lived 'perfect' lives. But rather, He came for those who did not have it all together, the sinners. And the Pharisees were not okay with that. They were rattled that Jesus hung out with sinners and associated Himself with them. But how Jesus lived His life on Earth is how we are called to live ours. We aren't called to live our lives high and mighty, believing we are better then others and not caring about those less fortunate or the outward sinners. We are called to love, to serve, and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone, including those who Christians wouldn't 'normally' associate themselves with. And that is what the song Wild Things is all about.

So the next time you're in the car with someone or someone sends you a song to listen to, give it a chance. Sometimes, God can really speak to us and use artists from genres other then 'worship/gospel/Christian'. The song Wild Things is about the call that we have on our lives as Christians. We have to go out into the 'wild' where the sinners are, and live our lives. The dark and Godless places, need us to shine our light. Often we won't even have a chance to say a word about Jesus, but how much louder do actions speak then words? You can be a light anywhere you go, and you can share the message of Jesus without using words. This song inspires me and should inspire all of us to be the ones to go out of our way to love the lost, the sinners. And we should also not be rattled when we do see Christians doing just that, walking like Jesus with the 'lions, tigers and bears' in the 'wild'. Let Jesus shine through you and don't be afraid, because as Andy puts it 'Who shall I fear when God is walking with me, If I die that's a win, that's the seed of the church plus I get to be with Him'. 

So go and be where the wild things are! & be ready for anything. 

In omnia paratus 

W I L D  T H I N G S by Andy Mineo 
                        {listen here}

{hook}
I wanna go where the wild things are 
I wanna go where the wild things are 
I wanna go where the wild things are 
I'm talking lions, tigers, bears (oh my)
I'm talking lions, tigers, bears (oh my)
I'm talking lions, tigers, bears (oh my)

{verse 1}
Welcome to the church in the wild 
I live with dudes haven't been to church in a while 
I've chosen this lifestyle, you ever met my friends?
Porn stars, dope dealers, they like, 'why you chill with them?'
I thought you was a Christian? Yeah I'm on that team 
But I'm with them cause my life's the only bible that they've ever seen 
Some wanna be an earshot from the church bell 
I wanna win souls, make gunshots in the worst hell 
Tellin 'em Christ became a curse for they sin with my words and my works 
They won't come in? I'm bringing church to them 
Yeah, that's why I live where I live
They say, 'you acting cray, that ain't no place to raise your kids'
But um, if we ain't living it who else gon' show em 
What a family supposed to look like instead of them broken homes 
Gotta be living stones where they getting stoned 
Live and know Him, die to make Him known 'til He take us home, 
let's go

{hook}

{verse 2}
If you catch me in a bar where the wild things are 
With my pastor and an entourage who loves God
Please don't think that it's odd, we kick it 'round broken hearts 
Fishing for men, surrounded by sin but ain't taking part 
I talk about Jesus, all the Christians love me 
I walk like Jesus now they wanna judge me, ain't it funny?
I'm ducking stones thrown from the Pharisees
Gospel of Peace up on my feet like a pair of cleats 
Walking with the Paraclete, that's Greek for The Spirit 
They say the wild things'll eat you up 
Who shall I fear when God is walking with me 
If I die that's a win, that's the seed of the church plus I get to be with Him 
And we so undefeated like Hanes made our sneakers 
I had beef with Jesus then my sin it got deleted 
So I gotta go and speak it to those who really need it 
Let the Gospel off the leash, go and be where the beasts at 

{hook}