Welcome back to another episode of The Gospel According To, where we connect all the inspiring, positive, uplifting things from this world with Bible verses and Biblical themes that will help us understand the Word better and gain a new way to talk about Jesus. This week, I was once again inspired by Sunday morning’s sermon to write about Imagine Dragons’ “Whatever It Takes.” Enjoy!
Fandom: Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
Nugget: My life points to who God is and brings people to Him.
The Horizontal View: Searching for Something More
Imagine Dragons is a super amazing group, and one of their strengths is cleverly assembled lyrics that could mean any number of things. In this song, I think the general theme is wanting to break free of the typical and become something more. Most of the words describe various forms of discontent that the singer feels with his situation, his surroundings and even his own body, and the chorus describes chasing a high of some kind, probably what church-speak would call “fleshly desires.” But the BRIDGE of this song is what really struck a chord with me:
“I’m an apostrophe, just a symbol to remind you that there’s more to see, I’m just a product of the system, a catastrophe, and yet a masterpiece”
Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
The Vertical View: Living for Someone Greater
I would like to point out that this quote from this song is exactly what we’re called to live as believers. I’m not living for myself, but as a marker, a sign that points people to God. I’m an apostrophe, or a semicolon, something small and comparatively insignificant, yet also an important part of the meaning of the sentence that is being communicated.
I’m a manager, not an owner.
One of the main points that my pastor highlighted this week was that everything we think is ours– our time, our money, our physical bodies, our possessions, and our abilities– all belongs to God. “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.” Psalm 24:1-2 ESV That shows how very generous God is, because He doesn’t micromanage all the things He has given us; He gives us the ability to choose how to use them. But it also puts things in perspective in a pretty big way. Here’s some more verses:
“The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the LORD of hosts.” – Haggai 2:8 ESV
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” – 1Cor. 6:19-20 ESV
“For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” – 1Cor. 4:7 ESV
I have a divine responsibility – give back to God by using what’s His to further His Kingdom.
When we give in any form, we are giving back to God and entrusting to Him what He’s entrusted to us. So if I get paid $800 and only give God $85, what does that say about my trust in Him? Or, if I have bills to pay this month but I’ve seen God provide for me in the past, what’s stopping me from giving generously to Him?
And it isn’t just money: God also wants our time, just like a significant other, family member, or friend would ask us to spend time with them. If that investment isn’t made, then the fellowship can decline. But if I have proclaimed that Jesus is Lord, He is more than just a friend or a confidant or someone I turn to when I need comfort or wisdom or forgiveness. He is LORD — and spending time with Him every day helps ensure that I will choose to be His masterpiece instead of the catastrophe that I am when I neglect to do so.
Here are some similarly themed posts that I know you’ll love:
- Birdy – “Keeping Your Head Up”: Unshakeable Hope and Inimitable Promises
- Bastille’s “Joy” – Protecting Your Mental Health by Relying on the Holy Spirit
- Kacey Musgraves’ “Butterflies” and the Freedom of Real Love🦋💐💖
- The Gospel According to Owl City: “To The Sky”
I give to God because He is WORTHY.
The last thing I wanted to say today has to do with the chorus of Imagine Dragons’ “Whatever It Takes” and the primary joy and privilege of the Christian life. Here are the lyrics:
“I’ll do whatever it takes… ’cause I love how it feels when I break the chains.”
Imagine Dragons “Whatever It Takes”
In the original intent (see above), I believe the singer is referring to the feeling of freedom that happens when they break people’s expectations and stretch their own ideas of what’s possible. But in the Biblical sense, we can interpret this line to mean the experience of sharing the Gospel. I promise you, there is no better feeling in the entire world than telling the story of salvation and watching someone’s very soul come back to life as a result. Nothing else compares, because that’s the whole purpose of humankind. And as a result, I should be willing to do whatever it takes to experience that as many times as I possibly can.
“breaking the chains” could also refer to the ongoing process of un-learning false beliefs and misconceptions about life, the universe, myself, God, and others through daily time, energy and effort spent in the Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers. Because beside the feeling of coming to life for the first time, ridding myself of extra weight I’ve been carrying is pretty amazing too.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about Imagine Dragons’ “Whatever It Takes” and the importance of honoring Christ as Lord of everything we are. If you did, please let me know what you think! Have you ever shared the Gospel with someone? How amazing did it feel?
Happy fangirling!!
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