Making A Change

So, my friend and I started talking the other day. We started talking and he was talking about his life at home, and how rough his life is starting to get... The adults in his life, the problems he was having, and how - overall - it was a struggle for him to live at home. I don't want to go into much detail to keep privacy, but I do want to explain my point.

He was talking about his dad and things that he does and how he is surviving. He talked about how he probably wasn't going to be successful. He said that he kind of wanted a good career and education - but he explained that it wasn't possible.

This life is only what you make of it. It's yours. Set big goals and dreams and try to reach them. Start small. If you don't think you can do something, you probably can. Don't doubt yourself. Try to achieve those goals and dreams, no matter who you live with, what your past has been like, or even who you hang out with.

I have a good example of this.

My favorite rapper Lecrae has a great testimony about how he overcame the past and he made a change. He explains that his father left him and his mother of an addiction. He was left with only his uncles who were bad influences. He tells about a time with his uncle in his testimony:

"My uncle was pretty promiscuous - had multiple girlfriends. We were hanging out and my uncle told me "Sit right here in the car, young man - let me talk to this lady." We were on our was to his girlfriends house and he stopped to talk to another young lady. We got to his girlfriends house. His girlfriend asked me, my young impressionable mind, "Does he talk to other woman?" and I'm assuming I'm supposed to be telling the truth and so I'm like, "Of course - I thought you knew this." I woke up in the trunk of his car. He knocked me out and I woke up in the trunk of his car. I screamed and he said, "If you don't be quiet, I'm never gonna let out this trunk." These are the idols - these are the role models that I had to look up to. I had men telling me that I wasn't a man unless I drank more than I needed to, slept with more people, unless I was a fighter. All these standards of masculinity and manhood came about because I had no real standard. The standard was just created."

 The manhood speak from Lecrae. 

Lecrae is now a Christian rapper and is a great role model to even me. Once he found Jesus, He knew he had to make a change. He wrote a song called "Just Like You" on this same topic.  He starts off the song like this:

"Dear, Uncle Chris, Uncle Keith, Uncle Ricky,

Before the Lord get me I gotta say something quickly

I grew up empty since my daddy wasn't with me,

I wasn't picky I'd take any male figure – you.

You showed me stuff I probably shouldn't have seen,

But you had barely made it out your teens,

And took me under your wings

I wanted hats, I wanted clothes just like you,

Lean to the side when I rolled just like you

Didn't care if people didn't like you,

You wanna bang, I wanna bang too."

He starts it off showing what his past was like. Next, he explains to his fans that they need to be role models:

"You never know who's right behind you,

I got a little son now and he do whatever I do

But it's something deep inside you,

That tell you it's gotta be more than doing what other guys do,

They had nobody there to guide you

But I followed your footsteps and this shouldn't surprise you,

You realize?

Yeah, I just wanna be like you"

Lastly, he shows the change in his life when Jesus stepped into his life and what He did for us.

But then in steps Jesus,

All men were created to lead but we needed somebody to lead us

More than a teacher,

But somebody to buy us back from the darkness,

You can say He redeemed us,

Taught us that real leaders follow God,

Finish the work 'cause we on our job

Taught us not to rob

But give life love a wife like He loved the Church,

Without seeing how many hearts we can break first.

They say you [Jesus] came for the lame,

I'm the lamest

I made a mess but you say you'll erase it,

I'll take it

They say you came for the lame,

I'm the lamest

I broke my life, but you say you'll replace it,

I'll take it."

Just Like You - Lecrae