Photo by CHUTTERSNAP
UPPERROOM is a church-based band hailing from Dallas, Texas. They released twelve works, including:
- God You Are (2014)
- Live from Upper Room (2016)
- Made for More (2016)
- Center of Your Love (EP, 2017)
- Moments (2018)
- Moments II (2018)
- Moments: Color 003 (2019)
- Moments: Design 004 (EP, 2019)
- To The One (2019)
- Santo Espíritu (Te Amamos) (2020)
- Land of the Living (2020)
- Arbor (2021)
Also, check out my reviews of Getting Ready and Surrounded (Fight My Battles).
Lyrics can be found at https://genius.com/Upperroom-move-your-heart-live-lyrics.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review.
1. What message does the song communicate?
None is more pleasant or prized than Jesus. UPPERROOM wants to stir His heart and bask in His Presence, willing to sacrifice their dreams and themselves to accomplish this goal. The cost is worth it. But, is it? According to Chorus 2, UPPERROOM wastes their hours on God. It’s as if God is a distraction for more important matters than their personal relationship with Him.
Score: 7/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
Almost the entire song aligns with God’s inspired Word. There’s a major issue with Bridge, where UPPERROOM responds to their lives laid down by paying vows. That goes against Jesus’ teaching on avoiding promises.
[Verse 1]
Lines 1-8: Jesus is more valuable than anything else (Philippians 3:8-10), with unmatched beauty (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 27:4, and Psalm 29:2).
[Chorus 1]
Lines 1 and 2: What does it mean to “move God’s heart”? God’s mind was changed due to Moses’ plea (Exodus 32:11-14) and Jesus was moved with compassion (Matthew 20:34). There’s a connection between prayer and God’s willingness that causes Him to be moved (2 Kings 20:1-11) from a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17).
Lines 3-7: UPPERROOM desires to surrender to God’s ways (Isaiah 64:8, Matthew 10:38, Matthew 11:28-30, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34-38, Mark 10:28, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, John 15:1-11, Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 2:5-8, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:7-10, and 1 Peter 5:6), counting the cost of obedience (Luke 14:25-33).
[Verse 2]
Lines 1-7: See Chorus 1.
[Chorus 2]
Lines 1-5: UPPERROOM wants to experience God’s Presence and dwell in His house (Psalm 27:4). Scripture tells us that by drawing near to God (see Chorus 1), God will draw near to them (James 4:8).
Lines 6 and 7: This wording is unfortunate. Merriam-Webster defines wasting time as “a bad use of time”. Spending time with God is not a waste.
[Bridge]
Lines 1-7: UPPERROOM provides three examples of their willingness to respond to God that will move Him. See commentary on Chorus, lines 1 and 2, for the answer to UPPERROOM’s question.
Also, line 4 is now how they should respond to a life laid down. Rather, they should let their yes be yes and no be no (Matthew 5:37). There’s no reason to make a vow.
Line 8: Essentially repeats line 7.
Lines 9-16: Repeats lines 1-8.
[Outro]
Lines 1-12: Functionally equivalent to Bridge.
Score: 7/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
To unbelievers, UPPERROOM is all about Jesus. He is the most important thing to this artist, explicitly citing the name “Jesus” to add further clarity. I seriously doubt unbelievers will misinterpret this song; However, they will likely pick up on UPPERROOM’s contradiction outlined in sections 1 and 2.
Score: 7/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies God that UPPERROOM is subservient to God; However, it does not glorify Him when UPPERROOM believes spending time with God is wasteful.
Score: 7/10
Closing Comments
UPPERROOM’s Move Your Heart is simple and clear with an unfortunate error. While it showcases UPPERROOM’s reliance on God, going to great lengths to be with Him, they claim that spending time with God is a waste, cutting at the heart of Christianity. Unbelievers should easily interpret similarly.
I cannot recommend it for corporate worship.
Final Score: 7/10
Artist Info
Track: Move Your Heart (Live) (listen to the song)
Artist: UPPERROOM
Album: Land of the Living (Live)
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2020
Duration: 6:26
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
Comments
Joshua
I can see how the wording of wasting time can be misleading for some. When I did this song in my church, I changed that lyric to “spend my hours and my days on you.” That seemed to not be too troublesome, as the meaning is to utilize our time on God, to spend more time with him. Worship leaders should be free to change lyrics if it can help a song be used in church, similar to how David Crowder changed the lyrics in the song How He Loves from “slobby wet kiss” to “unforeseen kiss.”
Also, for the part about making vows, I considered it as an artistic way of referring to making wedding vows. Making wedding vows a very loving act one can do when one is in love with someone else. And after all, we are the bride of Christ. So, I personally didn’t have a problem with that part.
War
Hello! Not here to stir up any dissension but sharing my thoughts for fellow readers to think. Most people are talking about the “waste” line but I’m more disturbed by the WHOLE THEME of the song, especially if you listen to the longer version with all the free worship at the end:
“… When you begin to sing, When you begin to be, It’s you that moves Me
You without the talent, You without the performance, Oh, I’m so moved by your authenticity
… He says you blow Him away … when you just be who you were meant to be”
The idea of “I want to please my King” is right, but from the free worship, it seems that 1. our personal sacrifice/works/offering and 2. brokenness and sins can move His heart, to touch His heart and affections. I’ll address both parts.
1. In the OT, sure it says that He doesn’t delight in your vain sacrifices (Psalm 40:4-8), but obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam 15:22), and other things like how He dislikes feasts and vain sacrifices but to good, seek justice, help the oppressed/widowed/vulnerable (Isaiah 1:11-20, Proverbs 21:3, Micah 6:6-8). So I think that’s clear that He looks at our hearts, not the external actions. And we are accepted because of the finality of Jesus’s death once for all (Hebrews 10:11-14). Our best works, even in God’s name, bring glory to Him, not to move His heart because our offerings are good.
2. Psalm 51:16-17 is perhaps the passage they took it from. “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” King David writes it after his devastating folly, that God doesn’t delight in superficial sacrifices without an inner repentance and saying that “I am utterly poor in spirit, broken, and I need God”. It is quite different from what they are saying: “Bringing my broken heart and imperfections to God blows Him away and deeply touches His heart.” Our “authenticity” and broken selves do not blow Him away; how can our sins touch Him at all? Rather, we are not “accepted as we are by God”, but “accepted as we are IN CHRIST by God” 🙂
Beks
Hey War! I love your commitment to the truth of scripture. I think what he is doing is reinforcing that we don’t need to earn the love of God, that the Lord doesn’t need our gifts or performance, He loves us, we don’t have to work to be someone He didn’t create us to be.
This section of the song seems to be addressing those who feel condemned. The ones who by social standards are not “perfect or ideal” e.g “the one who hasn’t prayed in a while” – they may feel condemned and undeserving like the prodigal sin, but they need to know what their Father’s heart towards them is. The one who was “adopted” – may have issues with rejection and worth, Jesus loves them, and for them just being who they are (His creation), He loves them. The “one who just got a divorce” – may also feel condemned or worthless, ostracised from their community, like a failure, but don’t worry, He loves you!
Have a blessed day!
Moriah Muncy
I think you see more of what the author meant in the Oxford definition of waste: to expend carelessly or extravagantly. Expending my time extravagantly on God is so beautiful. I think we sometimes get lost in legalism and don’t allow for artists to use poetic language that expresses their innermost heart I think the story in Matthew 26 is a beautiful reminder of expending extravagantly all we have to Jesus.
Bryan McKaig
I think you’ve missed the artistic irony of the word “waste” in this song. If the meaning is really that it is wasteful to spend hours and days on Jesus, why exactly does this lyric express the desire to do just that? I think the allusion to the woman who “wasted” a jar of expensive ointment on the feet of Jesus – an act he explicitly favored – is clear. Even songs for worship are permitted to employ irony, especially when the intended meaning is made so plain by the rest of the lyric.
Steve
Thanks for your comment Bryan. I was thinking the same thing. It is an artistic expression. Writing songs is a little different to the normal written word. A song will often leave you thinking about a topic and reflecting on the meaning for you personally, long after the band has stopped. As a child, I never understood the words from Psalm 23, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The intended meaning of ‘wasted hours’ is clear from the rest of the song. To me, it feels like the writer is trying to describe getting lost in worship and losing track of time. To think the writer is suggesting anything else is akin to taking the old translations of Psalm 23 literally.
joshkuipers
The “wasting of hours and days” is from the perspective of people who don’t understand why someone would spend their time worshiping and praising. It is straight out of scripture. “While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “WHY THIS WASTE?” they asked. ” – Matthew 26:6-8. Our worship doesn’t make sense to the world. It’s a waste. But as followers of Jesus, we know the time spent “wasted” on the things the world views as foolish is actually the most important thing. In fact, Jesus says later in that story: “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
I think since that line is straight out of scripture, the rating for this song should be adjusted.
Vince Wright
joshkuipers,
Thank you for your comment!
The words “I” and “my” shows up all throughout this song, pointing towards the artist who sings this song. It doesn’t make sense to think that the artist sings from their perspective, shifts to the unbeliever’s perspective on this one line, then back to their perspective using the same possessive pronoun “my”. This would mean that the Matthew 26:6-8 passage, at best, corrects the artist on their mistake. At worst, it doesn’t apply at all.
-Vince Wright
Cathryn
Most of this song absolutely moved me…beautiful. However, my spirit is more grieved by the “waste my hours and my days on You” line than this review seems to be. If that line simply had said “spend my hours…” then I’d be completely sold on it for corporate worship at my church, but sadly (because again, the rest of the song is so beautiful), that line completely taints the whole song for me. Such a bummer.
Vince Wright
Cathryn,
Thank you for your comment!
When I initially heard/read this song, I didn’t think much of it. But after reading your comment, I re-heard/re-read this song, I started to think about the implications of wasting time with God and how that impacts the rest of the song, wondering how I missed something so important.
I updated my review.
-Vince Wright
Roxanne M Starbuck
Is it okay to change the wording in a song for corporate worship- from waste to spend? It actually works
Vince Wright
Roxanne,
Great question!
There might be a legal issue in terms of changing words on copyrighted songs used in church services. However, I think that’s a great change!
-Vince Wright
Whitney
I think that in the context of this song, its not saying that you would be wasting your time on spending time with the Lord- at initial listening, I had the same thought when I heard it, I found it to be rude, insulting even, but I believe that what the message of this song means to show us is that to the world, just like in the Bible, the woman that poured her anointing oil on his feet looked like a waste to the rest of the world. Sacrifice, when giving vows you indeed are laying an old life down, when. you give marriage vows you are laying down your old self to join your partner to be one, in which in todays world also looks like a waste. Us spending all of our hours and days on Jesus looks like a “waste” to most people.
Mark
I agree with Whitney – think of the women who poured out the perfume on Jesus – how was it viewed – especially by the one not surrendered to Him – it was wasted – but obviously, it was not. Likewise, I believe this song reflects that – extravagantly pouring out oneself….spending our lives, which to the world looks like a waste.
Melanie P.
This is exactly how I viewed the use of the word waste from the first time I heard this song, and it struck a chord with me right away. I thought of Mary and Martha and the way that Mary seemed to waste her hours at Jesus’ feet- and He commended her for it,
Tim
Like you the song is really a blessing for me at a really tough time in my life. I too noticed that error in wording and while singing just say invest my hours and days on you. The rest of it for me is usable. Really unfortunate and I have meant to write to the author for permission to do this.