Considering that yesterday’s Message Mondays post was about Matthew West’s “Day One” and it is 2015 (ten years since Matthew West released his album History), I thought it would be fair and appropriate to discuss “History”, the title track off the 2005 album. If you haven’t heard of Matthew or his music, you’re in for a real treat. With songs like “You are Everything”, “Save a Place For Me”, “The Motions”, “Strong Enough”, “Hello My Name Is” and “More”, this singer/songwriter is perhaps one of the most underrated and overlooked, and in my opinion, in the same category lyric-wise as artists like Nichole Nordeman, Bebo Norman or Jason Gray.
2005 didn’t really seem like a while ago. I was in school (year 10) and everything was good. But in the land of music, ten years is a long time, especially when it can be a common occurrence to see many artists fall off the pedestal and move from stardom into oblivion within a week. So to see artists, even within the Christian industry, showcase their longevity with albums aplenty is a massive feat in and of itself. To call a song aptly titled “History” is to remind us that time keeps moving, and that pretty soon, songs like Matthew West’s latest “Day One” will in fact become songs of old as time keeps ticking away.
The message of “History” is simple- every choice we make now will impact the future, and will make history, in a good or bad way. The choice is ours whether we affect and impact the environment, or focus on another global issue that may need our attention, like obesity epidemics, scientific research, helping the youth of the world, or even facilitating places where the elderly can be looked after. Every choice we make on a daily basis can make or break the generation of tomorrow, even if we don’t think what we do will be significant or even meaningful enough.
As you listen to “History”, here is a reminder. That ‘…yesterday is history and history is miles away, so leave it all behind you…’ In a similar theme to “Day One”, we ought not to dwell on our past, but rather focus on the present as we allow God to work through the moments we’re in to teach us that the decisions we make now will impact the lives of those around us, sometimes far more that we may know ourselves.
What do you think of “History” and what does it mean to you? Which Matthew West song out of his whole music career has ministered to you the most? Sound of in the comments. Til next time!