All I Ever Have To Be

Written by Gary Chapman

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavy on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said

But I'm still hurting,
Wondering if I'll ever be
The one I think I am.

I think I am.

Then You gently re-remind me
That You've made me from the first,
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get the worst

And I realize the good in me,
Is only there because of who You are.
Who You are...

And all I ever have to be
Is what You've made me.
Any more or less would be a step
Out of Your plan.

As you daily recreate me,
Help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do
What I can find.

And all I ever have to be
All I have to be
All I ever have to be
Is what You've made me.

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I love this song! It describes the sadness that results from the popular teaching of progressive sanctification.

When the weight of all my dreams
Is resting heavy on my head
And the thoughtful words of help and hope
Have all been nicely said.

But I'm still hurting,
Wondering if I'll ever be the one
I think I am.

I think I am.

The dreams mentioned here are the hopes of a changed life offered by those who teach progressive sanctification. Christians are encouraged to believe that their lives will gradually change and become more like Christ. Sometimes they are even told that there are things that they can do to speed up this process of change.

The heavy weight is the realization that change is not happening...and it hurts. We think that we are Christlike...at least we've been told that we should be, but we know that we aren't.

Then You gently re-remind me
That You've made me from the first,
And the more I try to be the best
The more I get the worst

And I realize the good in me,
Is only there because of who You are.
Who You are...

Hope is restored when God re-reminds us that He made us perfect in His sight from the moment we first believed.

Hope comes from realizing that trying to become what we already are just leads to failure.

Romans 5:20

The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,

Hope also comes from realizing that our goodness comes, not from our own efforts, but from our being created in the image of Christ at the moment we believed.

And all I ever have to be
Is what You've made me.
Any more or less would be
A step out of Your plan.

Trying to change ourselves to become more like Christ is actually sin. He has already made us to be what He wants us to be. It is wrong to try to improve upon His new creation.

Galatians 6:15

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

As you daily recreate me,
Help me always keep in mind
That I only have to do
What I can find.

Any Godly change in our lives is the result of God working in us. We are not even conscious of this change until it has already happened. Notice that this daily recreation is not contingent on our efforts or cooperation. It is the work of God alone.

And all I ever have to be,
All I have to be,
All I ever have to be,
Is what You've made me.

Isn't God wonderful!