If you've been listening to the radio recently you may have heard this new song from MercyMe.
The song "Flawless" is the 3rd single from MercyMe's latest album release "Welcome To The New" and it's correlating music video above conveys the powerful message of the lyrics, which paint a picture of the power of God’s grace. Think about flaws you have or maybe even aspects about yourself that you assume are flaws. Your curly hair is uncontrollable. Your child has ADHD. Your past is riddled with mistakes. Last week you were rude to a stranger. Yesterday you lost your temper with your teenager. Today you told a white lie to your boss. These are mistakes and they are not examples of how God has called us to live, but don’t live in shame over intentional or unintentional flaws! God’s grace is powerful and He can transform any flaw into something incredibly pure and righteous.
Here are five ways the song “Flawless” and the music video show us why we have the freedom to be flawless.
The lyrics “There’s got to be more, Than going back and forth, From doing right to doing wrong” describes a struggle that many people go through. God’s grace is not based on what you do – it’s freely given to everyone. We all have a story of struggle. In Acts 4:33 it states, “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” It’s clear that the apostles had struggles and a past too, but their hearts were turned to Christ. They changed their lives and their testimonies about Christ’s resurrection were so powerful because of grace and mercy that covered their past.
God’s grace is made possible because of Christ dying on the cross. The lyrics “The cross has made you flawless, No matter the hurt, Or how deep the wound is, No matter the pain” reinforces the message found in 1 Peter 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” This verse also reminds us that we will experience pain, but we are promised more through Christ.
Do you truly understand the power of the cross? The lyrics “Take a breath smile and say, Right here right now I’m ok, Because the cross was enough” are a reminder that we don’t need to remain living in legalism and checking off a list of rules. We are free to become who God created us to be. We will make mistakes, but it’s okay because the cross was enough to cover all mistakes and breath life and energy into what God has called us to do. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes it clear that we are saved by God’s grace, not our deeds! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Have you experienced unconditional love before? The lyrics “Could it possibly be, That we simply can’t believe, That this unconditional, Kind of love would be enough, To take a filthy wretch like this, And wrap him up in righteousness, But that’s exactly what He did” describe an unconditional love from God that can transform us! We don’t have to walk around feeling like a “filthy wretch” because of our past or what we haven’t done. You are more than your mistakes and God’s grace fills the gaps and Christ secured this before you existed. These lyrics are a reflection of Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
One aspect that the video brings out is the uniqueness of our flaws and how they tend to show up unexpectedly. We are all broken in different ways. As shown in the music video, some are born with physical limitations and others develop flaws over time. Flaws can make us feel invisible and become huge burdens we carry. Let’s invite God to make us new and teach us how we can use our flaws for His glory instead of feeling ashamed. God’s grace allows us to live hopefully and experience freedom to be unique, feel beautiful and let go! Let Ephesians 1:7 sink in as you allow yourself to be surrounded by truth: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
What would you do if you truly lived flawlessly and embraced what God’s grace means for your life? Let God strengthen you. Turn your temper into a prayer for patience. Smile at the stranger who nearly ran into you with their shopping cart in the packed grocery store. We all tend to view aspects of ourselves as flawed but the truth is that God did not make any mistakes when he created you. If you see your uncontrollable curly hair as a flaw, talk to a hair stylist about great styles and products that will help you transform your curly hair into something that you embrace – seek a solution to your burden. Ask God to show you the blessings that you could only experience by having a child with ADHD. Laugh with your teenager and turn a moment of frustration into a moment of memories the next time you feel your temper rising. See how God’s grace can get in and turn your situation around? Nothing is impossible and He didn’t give us grace because of anything we did. Share with me how you plan to live flawlessly today.
Hear the powerful stories from the people in the "Flawless" music video in this behind the scenes piece.
Hear more about the heart behind the song in this interview with MercyMe frontman Bart Millard.
I'm a Christian writer and editor residing in northern Michigan and thoroughly enjoy Christian centered music, movies, TV shows and books. A favorite song is "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United and I find many songs by Matt Maher, Tim Timmons, Third Day, Laura Story, Jeremy Camp and numerous other artists uplifting. A few of my favorite Christian movies include God's Not Dead, The Shunning, Do You Believe and many by the Kendrick brothers. When I'm not writing, I enjoy running, experimenting in the kitchen and spending time with my musically gifted husband and spunky daughter. I am so blessed and in awe of the work God is doing throughout the Christian entertainment industry.