Popular contemporary artist Brandon Heath has a long-storied career, complete with hit music and well-deserved accolades. His list of achievements includes five Grammy nominations, an American Music Award nod, an Emmy Award, as well as eight Dove Awards.
Brandon’s next chapter opens with Enough Already, his seventh full-length album that gives answers to his faith-shaping questions. Compared to previous studio efforts, he remains intentionally different, using his musical talents to get underneath the listener’s skin with a lyric.
“I want to make sure I write songs that are uniquely me—not just the ones that make you want to play it again, but songs that make you go, ‘Oh wow, he just sang my story,’” Brandon shared with NewReleaseToday. “I think that is what makes people invest in an artist. It’s not just the songs they like on the radio. It’s cut three on the record that kind of makes you own that artist. I had the chance to speak with Brandon about one of the album’s cuts, “This Changes Everything.”
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
On a couple of songs on this album, I wanted to talk about heavy topics in a way that was accessible and lighter sounding. Many times, people have trouble accessing their hearts through emotional things, but if you catch them with an up-tempo song, you can trick them into thinking about it. For me, all tricks aside, I wanted to write a song that was fun and true to who I am. It’s about seeing yourself through a lens and that’s the lens of how God sees you.
In this season, I’ve asked God to show me how sees me. Seeing yourself the way God sees you change everything. It changes your perspective.
I have many insecurities, including my ever-present struggle with feeling like I never quite measure up. It’s a real weakness for me, but I also realize that many people can relate to that. To combat these lies, I’ve allowed them to have more space in my life and affect my songwriting. This has been a season of me rediscovering what I mean to God. And it has given me peace and a sense of belonging.
What 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.”
Revelation 21:5 (NIV): He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then He said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV): “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV): “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
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."
What is the takeaway message?
The song says, “Getting used to the way You look at me.” That takes practice. You were saying that you work on having healthy mental health habits. I discovered a place to hike in the mornings, to be alone and physically active, and in nature where I can connect with God.
That’s the vibe of this song: for people to know that they’re enough in God’s eyes. I’ve heard it said before that music is medicine, but I don’t see myself as a pharmacist. I can’t sit down and prescribe for anybody, but I can share some of my pain and my perspective, and that connection is what makes people feel the healing.
If I can help someone discover their identity in Christ through one of my songs, I would count that as a success. I feel like in this current season, we need to be rooted in this truth: He is who He says He is, and we are who He says we are.
Lyrics
Some might say People never change But I disagree Take a look at me And there's nobody that could tell me that I'm not good enough Not anybody that could say that I ain't worthy of love 'Cause I got that (got that) Got that kind of love Never knew a love like You That could make a heart brand new I can say that I'm not who I used to be Never felt a love so wide That could change a life like mine I can say that I was blind but now I see Now I'm stepping into a new reality Letting go of the lies that I believed Getting used to the way You look at me This changes everything Waking up as I wipe the tears away Running wild like a child who's unafraid And I can't hold back just gotta say This changes everything Open doors Go on show me more Making all things new That's just what You do God, You've never ever given me a reason to doubt I know You're always gonna love me from the inside out 'Cause You got that (got that) Got that kind of love Now I'm stepping into a new reality Letting go of the lies that I believed Getting used to the way You look at me (this changes everything) Waking up as I wipe the tears away Running wild like a child who's unafraid And I can't hold back just gotta say (this changes everything) Never knew a love like You That could make a heart brand new I can say that I'm not who I used to be Never felt a love so wide That could change a life like mine I can say that I was blind but now I see (this changes everything) Stepping into a new reality Letting go of the lies that I believed Getting used to the way You look at me (this changes everything) Waking up as I wipe the tears away Running wild like a child who is unafraid And I can't hold back just gotta say (this changes everything)
Closing Thoughts
We all need God to fix our messes and turn them into messages in some way. The beauty of grace is that it’s not something we deserve or earn, but a gift from our great God. Grace means that He gives us infinite second chances when we mess up.
Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.’”
So many people can relate to the song’s message. It’s a daily prayer asking God to come and change our hearts and lives in a way that our behavior and lifestyle flow from Him. What a powerful expression of what it means to accept that God never leaves or forsakes us. He’s all we need.
The Bible says to trust in what God says about us—no matter how we feel about ourselves. In many areas of our lives, especially as we’ve faced this coronavirus pandemic, we spend a lot of time worrying and living in fear and anxiety. Instead, lay your doubts and struggles at the feet of Jesus. He'll take them and release you from those burdens. Believe in the freedom that you have on the cross of Jesus. That freedom will release you from addictions, insecurities, and perfectionism.
One of the greatest witnesses that God’s followers can show non-believers the upside-down Kingdom of heaven is to live out God’s word and have supernatural joy in their hearts. Something that shows observers walking through valleys that they have the hope and joy of God’s love, living out His plans for them.
We serve a loving and merciful God who accepts us as we are, not whom we pretend to be. I love singing this song back to Jesus, telling Him that I need no other than Him.
You'll be blessed by this tender upbeat anthem with a convicting declaration: “Open doors/Go on show me more/Making all things new/That's just what You do/God, You've never ever given me a reason to doubt/I know You're always gonna love me from the inside out/'Cause You got that (got that)/Got that kind of love.” Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a longtime fan of Christian music, and an avid music collector. He 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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