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A Journey in Life(Song)

Reference: MNL-S01-001-Sw-R01-P1

(Written on on 9 December 2001; revised on 16 December 2001)

Web site: http://www.ajourneyinlife.org and http://www.ajourneyinlife.com

This song is protected by copyright © 2003 Lim Liong. Permission is given to reproduce part (where the meaning is retained and the part is not quoted out of context) or all, of it, for personal use or for sharing with others, on condition that no changes are made and the song is made available free of charge, and not used in any commercial setting. Please do so with carefulness and discretion.

This paragraph must be included when the song is reproduced so that others who reproduce it will be conscious of the conditions stated above.

Born into this world,
With vast potential!
I begin my journey;
Where will it lead me?
I open my eyes,
The world: it lies!
Bewildering, exciting!
I find it so strongly inviting!

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
Where you will be,
In eternity!

Looking for life, without divine light,
I learn to choose whatever I like!
For pleasure and praise, I live every day,
Not caring what God may say.

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
What you will be,
In eternity!

Deep within I hear:
My conscience says,
"Take heed now, beware,
Your selfish ways!"
I pause to be "kindly",
Projecting beauty.
I'm praised time to time,
While I'm still hiding all my slime!

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
What you will be,
In eternity!

Upon my darkened path shines a heavenly ray,
Warning of: the Judgment Day!
As I look up, it pierces my heart!
In deep repentance, the world and I begin to part!

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
Where I will be,
In eternity!

Such peace and joy is mine!
Life is now a fresh new kind!
His light and love abound:
Meaning and purpose I've found!

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

Suddenly the storm!
With dangers so near!
In its threatening form,
I sink in my fear!
I thought I was strong,
But now, am I wrong?
I struggle and I strive;
In shame I see failure in my life!
A higher plane He is calling me:
"Give up your life to Me: be free!"

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

I behold the Lord:
I see His glory!
I say yes to God:
"Always! Completely!"
In my helplessness,
I trust His greatness.
As my self-life dies,
I soar with Him freely through the skies!
The perfect God consuming my soul,
Pureness of heart my fervent goal!

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

Explanatory notes on the lyrics

This song is intended to communicate the stages of a journey in the path of finding true meaning and purpose in life: it includes the process of "looking for life" in the wrong way, with the attitude of self-seeking, leading to moral and spiritual darkness, which is subsequently dispelled when there is genuine repentance in the midst of God's gracious revelation. There is joy and gladness in the new path of life, followed by encounters of difficulty and failure because unresolved self-life is revealed in the midst of increased pressure. Subsequently, true and enduring freedom is realized in the heart when there is a deep response of self-giving, to God's call to a higher plane of living.

The following explains some major and basic aspects of the song:

Born into this world,
With vast potential!
I begin my journey;
Where will it lead me?

This song is presented in the form of a life-story told by a person who has made this spiritual journey in life. His story can also represent the experiences of others in this world and the principles can be applied at different stages and different levels of development in life.

He comes into this world, to begin his existence as a moral being, created in the image of God, with a vast potential for development: for good or for evil, in the development of his own being and in his involvement in the purposes of God in His creation. As he begins his journey in this world, the final outcome of his life is not yet determined.

I open my eyes,
The world: it lies!
Bewildering, exciting!
I find it so strongly inviting!

As he becomes aware of his surroundings, the world he lives in, he sees that the whole world lies before him, while it also lies to him, promising him "meaning in life" while in reality drawing him in the direction of indulgence in the self-centred enjoyment of the things in this world. While at times bewildering, it is also exciting, and there is a strong pulling power to follow the spirit of the world and its direction: this refers to the world system that is in opposition to the ways of God (this is explained in 1 John 2: 15-17). However, it is possible for him to reject this enticing pull if he determines to choose what is truly good and meaningful, in a spirit of dependence on God.

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
Where you will be,
In eternity!

This chorus represents the voice of God or a messenger of God cautioning the person that the choices that he makes will determine what will happen to him. His choices will determine where he will be in eternity, whether in the context of the joyful presence of God or in the context of suffering, away from the life of God.

Looking for life, without divine light,
I learn to choose whatever I like!
For pleasure and praise, I live every day,
Not caring what God may say.

He seeks for meaning in life, but, without seeking help from God, he readily moves in the direction of self-gratification. This process is not "automatic" or inevitable, but the result of his choice to seek for what is more enjoyable for the self rather than what is meaningful and good. Whether for good or evil, it is a learning process, and his choice is involved: he is responsible for the resulting state and direction of his life. It is much easier to learn to choose the path of "whatever I like" rather than the path that is morally good and right.

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
What you will be,
In eternity!

This chorus is similar to the first chorus, but it is a warning in the context of the person having chosen to go his own way. His attention is drawn to the reality that his choices will decide what he will become in eternity — the moral and spiritual state and quality of his being. This subject is considered in more detail in the edited message, "Rich man and Lazarus" (Reference: P1-M-MCH-S01-001-R00).

Deep within I hear:
My conscience says,
"Take heed now, beware,
Your selfish ways!"
I pause to be "kindly",
Projecting beauty.
I'm praised time to time,
While I'm still hiding all my slime!

This stanza portrays the common experience of the conscience troubling him when he does what he recognizes is not right and good, when he is self-seeking in his manner of life. He decides to do something positive and helpful to ease his conscience, without deeply changing his whole direction of life. Others observing his outward conduct are impressed by his "kindliness" and they praise him, while in reality, moral darkness and slime still lie hidden deep within his heart.

The choices you make,
The steps that you take,
Will decide your destiny:
What you will be,
In eternity!

The warning continues to be expressed, with greater urgency, as he may be lulled into thinking that he is now all right when in reality he is moving in the direction of destruction.

Upon my darkened path shines a heavenly ray,
Warning of: the Judgment Day!
As I look up, it pierces my heart!
In deep repentance, the world and I begin to part!

In the midst of the moral and spiritual darkness surrounding his life, God in His grace shines upon his path, helping him to recognize the seriousness of the consequences of his way of life, and offering him hope if he were to repent and change his way of life. With gratitude, he chooses to submit to God, and His ways and in his heart there begins the separation from the self-seeking ways of this world.

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
Where I will be,
In eternity!

In this chorus there begins the personal affirmation of the reality that has been brought to him: his choices will determine where he will be in eternity. He is glad that he has chosen the right path, leading to a meaningful destination.

Such peace and joy is mine!
Life is now a fresh new kind!
His light and love abound:
Meaning and purpose I've found!

His response to God in repentance and faith leads to his being born again and becoming a child of God. He experiences "peace and joy" in his heart in a new direction of life, as the life of God begins to transform his heart: he has found meaning and purpose in life!

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

In this chorus, he affirms his consciousness that the choices that he makes will decide what he will be in eternity: the quality of his being.

Suddenly the storm!
With dangers so near!
In its threatening form,
I sink in my fear!
I thought I was strong,
But now, am I wrong?
I struggle and I strive;
In shame I see failure in my life!

As he continues in his journey, he discovers that there are difficulties, suffering and pain in the Christian life and that he would not always experience a life of pleasantness and victory. In the midst of the storms of life, including opposition from the powers of darkness, he discovers his weaknesses, his tendency to depend on himself and natural resources, and he is appalled at the failures in his life. He wonders if he is in a very poor spiritual state when he previously thought that he was getting on well — it is in reality a process of growth and development where increasing strength is developed in the context of learning from his failures and responding more fully to God, as he deals more deeply with his self-life.

A higher plane He is calling me:
"Give up your life to Me: be free!"

In the midst of discouragement and uncertainty, the Lord calls him to a higher plane of living: to deny himself, take up his cross daily and to follow Him with a fuller response of his heart. Some aspects of this direction of life are considered in the article, "Higher levels of friendship" (Reference: P3-A-FSP-S01-003-R00)

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

This chorus is an expression of the reflections in his heart as he ponders over the implications of such a level of commitment to the Lord and the consequences of taking this step.

I behold the Lord:
I see His glory!
I say yes to God:
"Always! Completely!"
In my helplessness,
I trust His greatness.
As my self-life dies,
I soar with Him freely through the skies!

In his reflections in the context of the Lord's revelation, he comes to a deeper appreciation of who the Lord is and the meaningfulness of a deep response to Him. He decisively chooses to give himself completely to God, to live for Him always, and in accordance with His ways, without reservations, in all aspects of his life. He learns to appreciate his need of God at all times and to depend on Him in each moment of his life. In the context of a deeper dealing with the self-life, he discovers increasingly a life of freedom, in oneness with the Lord, soaring with Him, according to "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8: 2).

The perfect God consuming my soul,
Pureness of heart my fervent goal!

He affirms now with depth of conviction the liberating and all-consuming direction in his life: a self-giving life in oneness with God, always striving for ever-deepening purity of his heart.

The choices I make,
The steps that I take,
Will decide my destiny:
What I will be,
In eternity!

In this final chorus, he is settled in his consciousness of the great importance of constantly making good choices, in the whole direction of his life, as well as in every specific aspect each day, as they will bear consequences for eternity.

Availability of the song

The song is available as MP3 audio files: with music alone (instrumental), available in the G key, as well as with singing (vocal), available in the keys of A, A-flat, G, G-flat and F. Different ones may find it more suitable to sing at different keys. The manner of presentation in the singing also varies with the different keys, with the higher keys (A and A-flat) being sung with greater outward enthusiasm and expressiveness, while the lower keys (F and G-flat) are sung with more gentleness, serenity and calmness, with the G key as a transition.  The meaning will be more deeply received when the song is listened primarily with the heart.