| “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.” |
| —John 5:30 |
In 1996, the female recording artist, Celine Dion, released her album Falling Into You. Among the tracks on this album, Ms. Dion included a popular song written by Eric Carmen entitled “All By Myself.” The lyrics read as follows:
When I was young
I never needed anyone.
And making love was just for fun.
Those days are gone.
Livin’ alone,
I think of all the friends I’ve known.
When I dial the telephone
Nobody’s home.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself,
Anymore.
Hard to be sure.
Sometimes I feel so insecure.
And loves, so distant and obscure,
Remains the cure.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself,
Anymore.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna live
All by myself,
Anymore.
When I was young
I never needed anyone.
Making love was just for fun.
Those days are gone.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna be
All by myself
Anymore.
All by myself.
Don’t wanna live—
Oh—Don’t wanna live
By myself, by myself,
Anymore.
By myself,
Anymore.
Oh.
This song rose quickly up the charts and helped cement an already burgeoning career for Ms. Dion. It captured the hearts of millions of people. It expressed a deep longing they felt to be a part of something bigger than themselves. It recognized that “aloneness” extracted an awful price over time.
In contrast, the Lord Jesus Christ responded to critics from the religious leaders of His day, who bristled at the idea that He would call God His Father. In effect, these leaders were questioning the divine authority of the Son of God. Jesus dealt with them firmly, but kindly. He explained, in significant detail, how His authority derived solely from the Father. Then, Jesus concluded this explanation with these words found in John 5:30:
“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”
As believers in the resurrection power of the living Lord Jesus Christ, we “Christ’s-ones,” or Christians, do not and cannot go it alone. We move forward on the pathway that God has laid out for us by means of the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are never, never, never alone. We always exist under the power and authority of the God who loves us with His everlasting love.
As we begin a new day, let’s remember that each one of us is not living “all by myself.” We are part of a great family, the Family of God. We have millions of brothers and sisters in Christ who have our backs. We can face anything that comes our way because we are not facing it alone.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, October 17, 2017
