Life can feel like a whirlwind bombarding us with endless demands. We all know that crazy feeling of needing to move forward blindly through the wild storm of life.
The truth is, we can’t do everything. In fact, we’re more helpless than we like to think.
When we focus on the raging storm of life, we get dizzy, make mistakes, step on other people’s toes, and get frustrated. Perhaps we cast the blame on others when we feel like we can’t get control. Or maybe we get angry at ourselves.
It all started in the Garden of Eden. The serpent tempted Eve by promising her the power only God possessed. Neither she nor Adam had that power, and because of their decision to pursue a power they could never have, the world is a downpour of sin and struggles.
The fact is, if we don’t have God, we have nothing to focus on. Back to the whirlwind we go.
Christian singer Tauren Wells knows exactly how this feels. But he also knows the key to surviving the storm of life. He sings about this secret in his song “Until Grace,” which features Gary LeVox, singer in the band Rascal Flatts.
“Until Grace” is a beautiful reminder of our solid foundation amid life’s confusion. We have hope in Jesus Christ as He calms the storm around us and holds us in an unending fountain of grace. God’s grace changes everything for us as the lyrics state:
Until grace called my name
Oh, I didn’t know I could be free
Until grace found me (Tauren Wells, “Until Grace”)
Tauren Wells is an outspoken voice for Christians, and he was nominated for the GRAMMY awards eight times. Previously, he was a part of a band called Royal Tailor. In 2017, he started his solo singing career and created his beautiful song “Hills and Valleys.” “Until Grace” is his third single released from his album “Citizen of Heaven.”
Recently, Tauren joined Taylor and Jen on the Life 107.1 morning show. He spoke about Christmas memories and his upcoming performance at Winter Jam in Iowa on January 22, 2022. He explained that he is looking forward to the opportunity to share encouragement and faith at Winter Jam.
“The desperation for hope, peace, and joy is so much greater [right now],” Tauren said. “And, the good thing is, we’re not pointing people to some idea floating out there; we’re pointing them to a person. Hope has been personified, and it’s in the person of Jesus Christ.”
In his music, we see the raw, real way Tauren conducts himself. “Until Grace” displays the image of the gospel that is key to an established faith: We are covered in our Savior’s grace, no matter what we do.
“In my own life, it’s really been grace that has saved my soul from my darkest places. It’s not just shouting the truth louder; it’s drawing closer to grace. It wasn’t until God’s grace found me that I realized my life could be redeemed, saved, and transformed. I hope this song meets you in that space.”
We live in a world where there is a constant tug-of-war between different truths that often seem both necessary and contradictory. Tauren’s words remind us of the biblical truth that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).
We are all in desperate need of grace.
God is both truth and grace. His love is more powerful than we can fathom. In our lives, we often see a fight between what’s right and what we ultimately accomplish. We all fall impossibly short of the standard Jesus set. And He understands the struggle we face on earth. He knows that “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
It is all too easy to fall into a legalistic faith, listing what we should and shouldn’t do and who we can and can’t be. The reality is, we get stuck when we view God as someone who lacks grace.
If you have ever found yourself in this position, maybe you can understand Jeremiah 17:9, which says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Again, it comes down to power, control, and our need to admit that we cannot control the whirlwind. We cannot calm the storm.
Tauren himself writes lyrics about this hopeless feeling. The very first verse of “Until Grace” proclaims:
I knew I was broken, but there was no one that I could tell
Praying felt like I was throwing pennies in a wishing well
And I started believing I was cursed to carry this weight
I was listing the reasons of why I should walk away (Tauren Wells, “Until Grace”).
We’ve all been there. The world is a rough place, and we can’t fully comprehend the concept of grace. But when we close our eyes, take a breath, and listen to God’s words repeat the truth, we can see the picture of grace a bit more clearly.
Ephesians 2:4-5 reads:
“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.”
Gary Levox also sings about the freedom found in God’s grace in his portions of the song “Until Grace”:
I might be looking at a future full of question marks
But I don’t have to have all of the answers if You have my heart
In You I’m finding redemption a little more with every breath
Brand new like the morning, and I’ll never forget that (Tauren Wells, “Until Grace”).
God created us to be His, to receive His gift of love and His gift of life. Although we turned away in our sinful behavior, He continues to extend these gifts. If we choose to take them, our joy will be complete-like a missing piece put back into our hearts.
And when the Holy Spirit holds us in grace, the whirlwind doesn’t bother us so much. We are content and peaceful. There is a shelter in the storm if we choose to take it.
If you enjoy our song of the month, “Until Grace,” you are sure to enjoy the music we play every day. Join the Music Team to have a say in what new music we play. Stream Life 107.1 on our website, on our app, or on the air for more songs that will give you hope, peace, and encouragement today.