August 6, 2011
My number one: There could never be no one like you
How come I feel this way about
My number two: Never tried to tell me what to say or do
I’m so in love with two
I don’t want to push it
I don’t want to fight
But this feeling keeps me up all night
Recognize the words?
Ever said anything like them yourself?
Ever felt anything like that yourself?
Well – they’re from a song called So In Love With Two, by Mikaila. She was 14 when she did the song – so you can kind of wonder what it may have really meant to her at that age. It likely wasn’t anything to do about God – especially since it spawned so many club remix versions – some of which are really good.
But ever since I did that piece on Is God Loving or Angry – I see just how many things can remind us of the choice we have with God.
So let’s look at the song.
I wrote this one back in August, 2011. It’s almost 6 years later now – February 2017. I still like the song. Not because of what it actually says – but for the beat and for what it reminds me of. Plus, it’s a good example to talk to people about the topic you’re about to read.
As I make additions to the original, I’ll put them in text like this, so you can tell what’s new.
It really doesn’t matter who’s number one or number two –
whether God is number one or number two –
whether we’re headed toward the loving God or the angry God …
… If God is number one in your life – Satan will try to put forth a number two to challenge for that number one spot.
… If God is number two – He has put something in each of us that wants us to search for Him – so that He can be number one.
It’s spiritual warfare – and like it or not – understand it or not – we’re in the middle of it.
If God is number one with you – then you probably already know this – and you know you have to always be on guard.
So I’m going to write from the point of view that God is number two.
But, as mentioned above, if God really is number one with you, that doesn’t mean you can just sit back and relax. If God’s number one – Satan is going to do his best to change that.
On top of that, I think the words are actually slanted that way. You’ll see what I mean as we go along.
So we have someone who says there could never be anyone like the current #1 – could be money, power, drugs – whatever. But there’s nothing else like it – the ultimate experience.
And yet …
Something must be missing.
There must be something more.
Maybe we don’t even know what that other thing is yet –
but there has to be something else –
because even though there’s nothing like #1 – there’s this other thing that’s #2 and we want it too.
And look at #2 –
Never tried to tell me what to say or do
Seems like #1 is more in your face and #2 is much less forceful.
Seems like #2 should be easy to ignore and forget.
And yet –
But this feeling keeps me up all night
So – for whatever reason – #2, even though not at all pushy, is still on our minds.
Why is that?
If we go to the next verse –
My number one: You give me everything I need
So – #1 gives everything we “need” – at least everything we think we need.
There must be something else we actually need – otherwise there wouldn’t be a #2.
And in the next line we find out –
But some things still are better with
My number two: He’s the one that really makes me feel so good
Having what we think we need – in other words, what we want – isn’t necessarily enough.
Somewhere inside us is a realization that what we really need is something else.
The chorus of the song goes on to describe the battle that’s going on inside –
If I only could decide
But I can’t make up my mind
I’m breakin’ all my rules because of you
You can tell me it’s not right
And it tears me up inside
But the problem is I’m so in love with two
If you’re a regular reader of this site – there’s a line in there that may sound familiar.
You can tell me it’s not right
That reminded me of –
“You can’t do this!”
“You keep saying that. And yet…”
Those lines are from The Priest’s Graveyard, by Ted Dekker.
I wrote about them in You can’t do this – and yet.
Funny thing about free will –
For quite a while –
we can convince ourselves that God can’t tell us what’s right –
we can convince ourselves that God can’t tell us what to do.
what we have to remember about free will –
He’s not giving us the choice to decide what’s right and what’s wrong –
He’s giving us the choice to decide whether we want to do what’s right or to do what’s wrong.
It’s just a few words different.
But it is one huge difference.
You see –
while we’re alive –
He wants us to choose Him.
If He’s #2 – He did create us with a desire for Him to be #1 –
But He didn’t create us as robots – preprogrammed to blindly take Him as #1.
There’s no love in that.
There’s an interesting thing about this “love”.
There are five little words buried in a passage about the difference between God’s love and our love –
God’s Love and Ours
1Jn 4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1Jn 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Think you found the five words?
Here they are –
because he first loved us
It’s not like we need to just find it from within ourselves to love God.
God created us – and He already loves us. We are returning a fraction of the love that God has already shown towards us.
In order for love to be present –
in order for love to win –
there has to be a choice.
And He gives us that choice.
It’s just that –
the choice isn’t to pass judgment over what is right and wrong
the choice is over doing right or wrong.
That comes out in the middle of the song –
Somebody tell me what I’m supposed to do
My number one, my number two
Somebody tell me
I’m so in love with two
She wants someone to tell her what to do.
We’d all like someone to tell us what to do
As long as they tell us what we want to hear.
Earlier I said that all sorts of things could be in the battle between #1 & #2. One of them was money.
Jesus actually talked about the money part –
MT 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
We may be able to convince ourselves that we can serve both – but He says we can’t. If we’re OK with that – then we’ll listen. If not – we have two choices.
One – try to serve both – and fail as He said we would.
Two – walk away from Him – as the rich young man did –
The Rich Young Man
Mt 19:16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life ?”
Mt 19:17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
Mt 19:18 “Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, “ ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’’”
Mt 19:20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
Mt 19:21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Mt 19:22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Mt 19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Mt 19:25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Mt 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mt 19:27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
Mt 19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
Ultimately it’s not up to us to decide what Jesus is asking of us.
It’s up to us to decide whether we want to do what He is asking.
If we decide which things we want to do and which we don’t – the result will be like that camel going through the eye of a needle – it’s not gonna happen.
If we do what Jesus asks – then all things are possible – including that camel making it though the eye of the needle.
So – what did Mikaila’s song choose?
Hey, hey, hey
I choose the both of you
Uh Oh.