The songs on their latest full length album, IV, celebrate God's sovereignty, professing that God is the ultimate Ruler over our lives. I love how this song expresses the truth of our earthly challenges. This song has resonated with me as I realize that Jesus commands us to trust God completely, no matter our circumstances or personal distractions and concerns.
It's refreshing how, in this age of lyrical ambiguity, there is no question that this band is sold out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Returning with "What He Says About You," Unspoken offers a great example of how you can write and sing lyrics unashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and reach the lost with transparent confessions of faith. IV was one of my top 10 albums of 2024. I admire that every thought and lyric on the album is based on Scripture. In-person before the We Love Awards, I had the chance to speak with Unspoken's lead vocalist, Chad Mattson, about "Loved by You."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
The song was initially written with our daughters in mind, aiming to reinforce the truth that God's love is the only voice that truly matters, amidst the many voices vying for their attention. Sometimes it's hard to believe that God loves us. Like, really loves us. We strive to be the best versions of ourselves, but we feel like we don't measure up. But the truth is, because of Jesus, we are loved unconditionally.
Our song is about the incredible love of God. How His love knows no bounds and can never run out. It's really hard to differentiate the truth from how we feel or who culture says we should be. we all face battles, make mistakes, and sometimes feel unworthy, but God's love remains steadfast, carrying us through and offering forgiveness.
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Psalm 139:14 (NIV): "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV): "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You."
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT): "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."
Romans 8:31 (NIV): "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"
John 1:12 (NIV): "Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV): "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV): "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
What is the takeaway message?
"Loved By You" is about the unconditional love of God, focusing on the truth that we are loved, chosen, and treasured by Him, regardless of our imperfections or what we might do. The song emphasizes that God's love is constant and unwavering, a message we wanted to convey, especially to our daughters and to anyone struggling with feelings of inadequacy or the pressures of external voices.
I have also found the song's message has resonated deeply with my own struggles to differentiate between the truth of God's love and the lies I hear from culture or within myself. God's love is not earned or dependent on our actions. It's a gift, freely given, and a constant source of hope and strength. I hope this song just washes over people's spirits, minds and hearts, reinforcing what the truth really is. There's only one voice that matters, and it's the voice of God.
Lyrics
All I see is all the mess
I've been carrying a weight most my life
I been trying to measure up in Your eyes
I ain't getting any rest
I've been fighting battles you already won
I've been runnin' races you've already run
I've been workin' steady on something already done
Like I could ever hope to do enough
I don't have to
Battle and try
Struggle and strive
To be loved by You
Oh God
Open my eyes
To recognize
That I'm loved by You
I wanna more than feel it
Child like believe it
Take it in like the air that I'm breathing
Nothing I
Gotta prove
Gotta do
To be loved by You
It's so easy to forget
That you know me like I've never been known
You see it all and still you call me your own
Now my heart can finally rest
No more fighting battles you've already won
No more running races you've already run
There is peace in knowing all that you've already done
Will always and forever be enough
When I didn't see it
You loved me
When I couldn't feel it
You loved me
You never need a reason
To love me
'Cause love is who you are
When I don't deserve it
You love me
Help me to believe that
You loved
You never need a reason l
To love me
Cause love is who you are
Closing Thoughts
"Loved by You" is a very convicting and sobering reminder that God brings trials to remind us how much we need Him. Things don't go as we want or even how we pray for God to work in our lives. Don't pretend you have it all together. Admit your need for God by saying, "God, help me."
This song celebrates the freedom we're promised in God's Holy Word. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
Christians are new creations on the inside. The Holy Spirit has given you new life. You no longer must live with guilt, fears, or worries. You're born again. God desperately wants to fill you with His light and His mercy to make you new. The Lord's glory, His strength, is found in your weakness. This song celebrates that truth.
God wants to hear from you. He wants you to boldly approach the throne of mercy and grace to receive what you need from Him. Only Jesus can give us our identity. What a powerful expression of what it means to accept that God never leaves or forsakes us. He's all we need. I sing this song to God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
This song reminds us of the kind of heart we should have as people valued by God and as Christians who can communicate our value to others. For me, songs such as "Loved by You" provide opportunities for God to whisper to me my identity. It's not found in what I do or don't but in who I am and, more importantly, to whom I belong.
We can all celebrate the truth behind this song. We're fearfully, wonderfully, and perfectly made. Again, don't hide your weaknesses. In fact, because of your weaknesses, God's grace and strength are perfectly revealed. Join in and sing loudly: "It's so easy to forget/That You know me like I've never been known/You see it all and still you call me Your own/Now my heart can finally rest." Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a passionate enthusiast and dedicated collector of Christian music. He believes that the message of Christian music has led him to a deeper understanding of Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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