Trailblazin Ministries: Is Your Life an Open Book?

Is Your Life an Open Book?

Written by LaRosa Johnson
Tuesday, 10 July 2007

Ever since I was approached with reviewing Da' T.R.U.T.H.'s album Open Book, I have been thinking a lot about what it means for our lives to be an open book. I have listened to the album many times over in the process of writing my review of the album, and the overall concept has been ringing louder and louder in my spirit the more I listen to it. The one thing about the album's concept that stayed with me the most was the instructions on how to live a life that is acceptable in the sight of the Lord. It seemed quite ironic, and almost apropos because of the study that is currently being conducted on this site on the book of James and how it is directing us to abstain from sin and exhibit a godly character. Truly, Open Book seems to be an album that is right on time for us to be covering to the extent that we are. Here is the album's concept statement:

Each of us is writing a book. The question is: How does your life read now and what will be your legacy? In, Open Book— his most transparent work to date— Da' T.R.U.T.H. encourages each of us to live Jesus consumed, truth driven, intentional and transparent lives in order to make the sight of Christ attractive (2 Corinthians 3:2; Matthew 5:14-15).

2 Corinthians 3:2 (NASB95) - You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men
Matthew 5:14-15 (NASB95) - 14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

If I wanted to, I could probably preach a sermon just on those three verses, but I will try to abstain, while still speaking what's on my heart in regard to this project. Da' T.R.U.T.H. is on point with Open Book from concept as a whole down to each individual track. He lays out his life plainly for everyone to see, a rarity in today's market, and he simultaneously exhibits the power of the Word in each track. As Christians, we have to remember that we are God's representatives here on the earth and that everyone around us is watching our lives to see if we are going to be living examples of God's Word or if we're simply going to be hypocrites. The phrase "you are the only Bible that some people will ever read" rings true on many levels, and it is that idea that I have in mind when I listen to an album like this. It is also with that in mind that I, along with Da' T.R.U.T.H., have a strong desire to see these principles lived out in the lives of all believers.

One of the first things that we have to do is think about who we are, like Da' T.R.U.T.H. explores in "Who Am I?" We have live introspectively and think about the life that we are living right now in light of those who may be watching us, as well as the legacy that we will leave once our lives have ended. Are we living a life that is pleasing to the Lord and representing Him and His Word adequately? Are we an example of how to live a godly life or are we examples of what not to be? Like Da' T.R.U.T.H. says in the song, "If the Bible was rewritten and the writers put me in it, who would they say that I resemble the most?/Would it be Joseph or Samson? both of them handsome— only one of them was a symbol of hope." As we can see in the Word itself, there are numerous examples of what to be and what not to be; it's up to us to choose which one we want to be. To further elaborate on this, let's take a look at the hook and a portion of verse 2:

Hook
Who Am I? Am I more like Cain—full of hatred till my brother is slain?
Who Am I? Or, am I more like Jezebel—sexual in all my ways? think about it!
Who Am I? Am I more like Mary—pure and holy till I lay in the grave?
Who Am I? Or am I more like Abel—able to please God with my ways? Thank about it! Who am I?
Verse 2
Would it be positive or negative if everything I ever did was jotted down and read by all?/I ain't just talking about the stuff that you can see out on the surface but the stuff that was done in the dark./Now, if the walls could talk when the door is locked, would they say that I was off the chain?/Or, would it be the complete opposite? Would they say my public and my private life were all the same?

If we are going to live an open book that is pleasing before the Lord and be a light to the lost, then it also has to be one that is lived in awe of God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We have to remember that He is God and worthy of our praise. To quote Da' T.R.U.T.H. again, "No, He's not common at all/ All eyes on Him/ Hold your jewels, we gotta priceless gem/ Who else can pay the price for sin/ Nobody, and build a whole body/ Like a private gym/ Nobody, nobody but Him" (Star Struck). Other things to keep in mind also are that we need to die to ourselves and live for Christ completely (Price Tag); we have to remember that we are set apart for Him and that everything we do will build up one kingdom and tear down the other. In this particular song, Da' T.R.U.T.H. offers up a perfect example as he talks about producers and how they are willing to produce songs for artists who then write songs that do not uplift the kingdom of God; yet, if these same producers were communication or English majors, they would not work for Howard Stern or write for Playboy magazine. It is that kind of thinking that we need to have when making decisions on who to work with and for; we have to think about whether we are building up God's kingdom or the adversary's.

For many of us, these are things that we learn in our youth by attending church or Sunday school with our parents (if we were blessed to be raised in a Christian home). Much like Da' T.R.U.T.H., I was raised in a Christian home and learned from an early age the basics of the faith and what the Lord required and expected of me as a believer. I am grateful for that because it helped to keep me from falling into the mindset that I could wait until I was older and done living "my life" before giving my life over to the Lord. The idea of serving the Lord in our youth seems very taboo in today's culture, but it is something that is pertinent because we do not know the number of our days; therefore, we should desire to live for the Lord, even in our youth. A couple passages that speak on this would be Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 1 Timothy 4:12:

Ecclesiastes 12:1 (NASB95) - Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them"
1 Timothy 4:12 (NASB95) - Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

It is in both of these passages that we find admonishment from the Word itself to not let our youth pass us by without knowing the Lord. Instead, we should look at our age as nothing more than a number, realizing that we can be mature beyond our years, both mentally and spiritually, if we allow ourselves to be. We can be well versed in Scripture and doctrine, more than those twice or three times our age; we don't have to wait until we are adults to learn how to share the gospel with someone or how to study the Scriptures and teach a Bible study. Indeed, let no one despise your youth! Age is only a number, but our speech, conduct, love and purity can all be a reflection of the maturity that we have in Christ if we remember the Lord in our youth. Look at Daniel and Timothy, they were youth but did mighty works for the Lord. Along these same lines, we can also recognize that we don't have to wait until we are older to start living our lives with purpose and doing what we know the Lord has called us to do. Da' T.R.U.T.H. sums it up nicely in the hook for "Every Day" when he states, "Everyday— made in His image for His purpose/ So I know I gotta reason to live/ Everyday— my gift, my times, no sacrifice compare to His." While the world does any and everything to try to find out their purpose here on earth, when we are in the Lord, we can clearly know what God has called us to do; this is further elaborated in the same song when he says, "What do you do well?/ What are some of your strengths?/ Would you like to discuss/ Will probably give you a hint// Tell me what drives you up the wall/ 'Cause your greatest frustration/ Is a problem that you are here to solve/ That is if God gave you the tools to pull it off."

I'll start to wrap this up by saying that for us to live as open books, we have to live both obediently and wisely. We have to be obedient to the Word of God and what He asks of us to do, which means living a life of holiness; it also means that we have to make wise decisions, always doing our best to learn from the experiences of others, instead of living from trial and error. At all times, we must remember that people are watching our lives, from top to bottom, and however we live will be a direct reflection of our representation of Jesus Christ. Either we will be His leader or a picture of what not to be. We already know that lots of people think Christians are hypocrites, and it should be our desire to not add any more fuel to the fire, and instead work to prove them wrong.

In all, we cannot do this on our own. We need the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the working and teaching of the Holy Spirit in order to conform us into His glorious image. If we allow ourselves to lean and depend upon Him, we can run the race like we are admonished to in Hebrews 12:1-3 without failing. It is only when we do that that we are able to live a life that is an open book that is pleasing to our Father. Remember, this is your autobiography that you're writing, and it is completely up to you as to the story that you leave. As for me, I will serve the Lord and keep in mind that it's "holiness first 'til we under the earth!" My last thought is this, as Da' T.R.U.T.H. proclaims in his outro: