For My Sunday Song # 164, we are talking about “Difference Maker” by Needtobreathe.  The song was the debut single off their album ‘Rivers in the Wasteland’ from 2014.  The song reached #16 on the Christian charts and might be one of the most powerful song they have ever written lyrically.

The song is best described by Bear Rinehart himself.  I found this on the Newreleasetoday.com website. It is an article written by Kevin Davis when he interviewed Bear about the song.  Bear states the following…

This song is my story of trying to understand my role in God’s plan. We were on tour with a secular artist, Taylor Swift, playing to 20,000 and even 50,000 people per night. We felt like we were doing what we were supposed to be doing. Despite our efforts, I didn’t feel like we were having the impact we are called to have.

I think God was asking us at this time, “What are you doing this for? Are you doing it for Me?” And, I think that’s where this song was birthed. That confusion is almost a good thing. The bridge says “I am on the fence about nearly everything I’ve seen.” I meant that in how the whole band was going through a “we surrender to God” kind of way.

We don’t need to be concerned about what happens after we’ve given up this gift we have to God. That was really powerful for us. We had ambition and let that take too much of a priority in things that led us down a road that wasn’t good. I think that in trying to re-prioritize, God wants us to sacrifice those things, those idols in our lives. Some idols for us were wondering what the outcome was going to be, that we had the upper hand or maybe we were the best band out there, or we thought we were the most clever at it.

I feel like the beginning of the song is us asking ourselves are we really difference makers. How valuable are we, really? Towards the end of the song it comes around that God makes us a part of what He does, which is so crazy. It starts with us realizing that we don’t get to make the rules. We don’t control it, and we don’t get to say what the timing is. It’s not because of our talents. He doesn’t need that. He needs our willing hearts.

You would think that being on tour opening for Taylor Swift would be the end all be all, but it isn’t all its cracked up to be. There is such a sadness and longing in the song and lyrically, it is splendid.  For me, it raises question as to why are we here in this world and what is place in that world.  Is God the answer?  I think that is for each of us to decide as I find faith and religion to be a personal choice.  This song helped me take a longer look at myself.  it has helped a lot.

Musically, it is beautiful.  The song opens with an acoustic guitar part then lends its way to a piano that is used so effectively in conveying emotion.  There is a simple drum beat throughout that gives it that little something extra. It isn’t your typical song from the band and it really stretches the boundaries of the band shows a maturity in the songwriting and playing.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. I hope it helps finds a connection to you in some way, shape or form.  Thanks for stopping by and have a Happy Sunday!

“Difference Maker”

Yeah, isn’t it amazing how a man can find himself alone
Call into the darkness for an answer that he’s never known
Yeah, isn’t it amazing how God can take a broken man
Yeah, let him find a fortune, let him ruin it with his own two hands

And he climbs on up the hill on the rock on which he stands
He looks back at the crowd
He looks down at his hands and he says
I am a difference maker

Oh, I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one who speaks to him
I am the friendliest of friends of God

Yeah, isn’t it amazing how a man can find himself alone
Call into the darkness for an answer that he’s never known
Yeah, isn’t it amazing how God can take a broken man
Yeah, let him find a fortune, let him ruin it with his own two hands

He walks on up the hill to the rock on which he stands
He looks back at the crowd
He looks down at his hands and he says
I am a difference maker

Oh, I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one that speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

I am on the fence about nearly everything I’ve seen
And I have felt the fire be put out by too much gasoline
And we’re all strangers passing through a place and time afternoon
Life is but a vision in a window that we’re peeking through

A helpless conversation with a man who says he cares a lot
It’s a passive confrontation about who might throw a punch or not
We are all transgressors, we’re all sinners, we’re all astronauts
So if you’re beating death then raise your hand but shut up if you’re not

‘Cause I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one that speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

I am the difference maker
Oh, I am the only one that speaks to him
And I am the friendliest of friends of God

Written by Bear and Bo Rinehart