Switch is the student ministry of Life.Church., a church based in Edmond, Oklahoma. A collective of worship pastors who are passionate about creating songs that combine a modern sound with the truth of the Gospel. As pastors and songwriters, they really believe their purpose through Switch is to shine light on God’s truth in the middle of life’s difficulties.
The youth band recently released Better View EP as a follow-up to their full-length debut album, Symphony. Switch will release Better View, Part II in spring 2022. At the moment, the band’s catalog contains a mix of worship and upbeat pop songs, including “Better View,” “Good Friend,” “Count Me In” and “Symphony.”
A theme that Switch weaves throughout their releases is about remembering our identity of who we are in Christ. Their EPrepresents God's role in the life of the believer and our calling to “walk by faith and not by sight.” I had the chance to speak with Cassidy Estevez, Switch member and Ministry Leader of Worship Arts at Life.Church. about their hit song, “Better View.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
We wrote “Better View” coming out of 2020, at a time where the world was facing so many unknowns. At the time, we were wrestling with questions about how we could navigate a world with so much going on. The answer, of course, is always to look to Jesus and the clarity we get from Him. This hope-filled song was written for anyone who has trouble choosing to trust God when they face hardships.
It can be scary to keep moving forward when we can’t see where we’re going. But we can trust that God will reveal exactly what we need to see to take our next step.
Walking with God doesn’t mean we’ll see everything perfectly. But with His help, we’ll have a better view. Even when we can’t see the whole picture, God gives us exactly what we need. He reveals just enough for us to take our next step. When we trust Him, He gives us a better view. That’s how the song was inspired.
The song asks hard questions: one of the lyrics that stands out to me is “Maybe my heart is a mirror. Hold it up to see how I’m actually feeling, I’m just trying to get how things could be different.” That really speaks to the reality we are in today. There’s so much around us, and when we look to Jesus we can see more clearly.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Romans 8:28(VOICE): “We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan.”
1 Corinthians 13:12(NKJV): "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."
Psalm 23:4(VOICE): "Even in the unending shadows of death's darkness, I am not overcome by fear. Because You are with me in those dark moments, near with Your protection and guidance, I am comforted."
James 1:18-19(VOICE): "We have a special role in His plan. He calls us to life by His message of truth so that we will show the rest of His creatures His goodness and love. Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don't get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters."
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV): "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Philippians 1:6(NKJV): “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV): But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
Philippians 4:6-7(NIV): "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Isaiah 55:8-9(NKJV): "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."
What is the takeaway message?
One of the Bible passages that guided us as we wrote this song was Psalm 23. God is the one leading us. The clarity of following the shepherd and trusting in Him is comforting to know that He will illuminate our path and light up each next step for us. His grace is with us and His power is made perfect in our weakness.
This EP has fun moments of celebrating and praising God, as well as raw moments of wrestling with questions and learning to trust God. Each song has a unique sound and points to who God is, how He loves us, and the fact that He'll never leave us.
Anxiety and depression are real-life issues, and we shouldn’t downplay or cover it up. It’s exactly what Christ came to save us from. So, we’re not going to dance around the hard issues. We're committed to writing songs of prayer to cling to, especially when life gets tough.
Lyrics
You ever feel like you’re walking in circles
Not really sure how you got back where you started
Don’t really get why things don’t seem to be clearer
Eyes are kinda blurry, might need a new prescription
Well
Maybe my heart is a mirror
Hold it up to see how I’m actually feeling
I’m just trying to get how things could be different
I ain’t even lyin’, it’s pretty hard to see it
But You’re giving me a better view
Like windows open
Sunlight shining through my bedroom curtains
You’re giving me a better view
I can feel it
With Your help I see a little bit clearer
So good, so good the way
You see
See everything differently
It’s a better view (so much better)
It’s a better view (so much better)
Sometimes it feels like we move in slow motion
Like by the time I speak, I’ve already missed the moment
Not always sure how I can even make a difference
Eyes are kinda blurry, and I don’t really see it
But
Maybe I’m made to be different
Maybe these feelings all point to something bigger
Maybe I should kinda lean back and just trust
That if I do my part You’re gonna do something with it
Closing Thoughts
Abraham was called a "friend of God." He chose to not choose when he allowed his nephew, Lot, to choose which way to go. In the end, Lot chose by sight. And Abraham chose to walk by faith and not by sight. God gave him credit for his obedience. Righteousness comes from faith in the unseen, such as Abraham displayed in the Bible. Being a Christian means that we walk by faith, not by sight. Faith requires people to rely on the unseen.
We walk by faith every day. The beauty of walking by faith and not by sight is that we can learn to trust God more with our lives. God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. I'm completely convicted by the strong lyrics and find immense comfort in this song filled with biblical truth.
We can face our daily battles with more courage and strength because we know that whatever the outcome, based on His promise in Romans 8:28, "God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
We're all in need of our great God to fix our messes and to turn them into spiritual messages in some way. And the beauty of grace is that it is not something we deserve or can earn, but it is a free gift from God. So many people can relate to the song's message. A comforting message that there is always hope.
While we can't see everything in our fallen world through life's mirror dimly obscuring grace and truth, there's nothing we can do except trust in His son, Jesus. His ways are higher than our ways. That’s how we can have a better view.
“Better View” is such a great song and anthem of praise. It's a daily prayer asking God to come and change our hearts and lives in such a way that our behavior and the way we live flows from God living inside us. What a powerful expression of what it means to accept that God never leaves or forsakes us. He is all we need.
God tells us in the Bible that with faith, we can do anything in Christ. It's the perfect truth that you can use to get a daily reminder to not fear. One of the lessons I've seen about life is that we shouldn't wait to fix ourselves before we step out in faith. Look for ways to obey God and to offer your faith to Him.
King David was a shepherd. When writing Psalm 23, he knew that the Lord was his only guide and hope, the good shepherd of his soul. This song is all about submitting your worries, anxieties, and stress to God. Letting Him be your guide. He wants to walk beside you. He wants you to be bold and unafraid.
When I read the Bible, I’m strengthened with the truth that fear, worry, and anxiety are not God's plans for my life. So, trust God's Word. Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely, no matter the circumstances. Our thoughts are constantly under attack by the enemy.
The Bible says to trust in what God says about us, no matter how we feel about ourselves. With many areas in our lives, especially as we’ve faced this coronavirus pandemic, we spend a lot of time worrying, as well as living in fear and anxiety.
You'll be blessed by this powerful song with a convicting declaration: “Maybe I’m made to be different/Maybe these feelings all point to something bigger/Maybe I should kinda lean back and just trust/That if I do my part You’re gonna do something with it.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time fan of Christian music, an avid music collector, and credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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