Take It All

“You sent Your Son
From heaven to earth
You delivered us all
It's eternally heard
I searched for truth
And all I found was You
My God
I'll only ever give my all

Jesus we're living for Your Name
We'll never be ashamed of You
Whoa o oh
Our praise and all we are today
Take take take it all”

Take It All – Hillsong United

Religious beliefs have been a bit of a personal battle throughout my life. I went through a Presbyterian High School where we had to go to Chapel at least once a week, close most assemblies with a school prayer and attend Christian Education classes for most of the years we were there. I have never been a constant church goer – despite my Grandfather being a minister in the Anglican Church - and I have never read more than a few bible verses. I have, however, attended a few religious Easter Camps where the message of God was passed to us daily. And yet, I still can’t sit here and say I am a true Christian believer. There are too many ifs and buts and confusing passages for me to commit to religion. I respect those who believe with a doubt, sometimes to the point where I wonder how they do it.

So without these beliefs in my life, it makes me wonder why I can sit down and listen through an entire Hillsong United worship album knowing I hardly believe what they are saying about sacrifices from Jesus and giving all to God. But it’s the truth: I love Hillsong United, and I have spent those Easter Camps singing my heart out to their songs with thousands of other people. It’s not because their music is that catchy pop rock sound I happen to like anyway, but there is something in their music which touches me.

Despite being a sceptical of the story of Christ, I am a firm believer of the values of Christianity. I think these are something which should be in our everyday life regardless of religious beliefs, or indeed, any other demographic which defines who we are. Take It All alone, which to my understanding it about giving all the praise to God to take it all, touches upon these values. Sacrifices to others which can make our own life better – not to the extent of sacrificing a life, but sacrificing something small to help someone else. The idea of searching for truth in this world, whether or not that leads us religion. Not being ashamed of what you believe in. Giving your all to whatever it is you want to. And, most of all, the undeniable strength of love which comes through. It is these kinds of values which I take from Hillsong United music and into my own life.

I don’t deny there are other bands out there which have the same values in their music, whether they be associated Christian acts such as Skillet or The Fray or Switchfoot, or a band which denies any involvement with Christianity such as Evanescence. It is the light and the lack of, say, accusation in this kind of Christian Worship music which draws me to a kind of music where I believe the words but I don’t believe the story.