Our initial intention was for DIRE to be a rock band. I'd been writing metal since I was a teen and it had proven extremely difficult to get a handful of people together who were both interested in and capable of playing metal, and I reasoned that we might have an easier time finding members if we toned down the intensity and technicality of the music. "Not My Home" was the very first song ever written for this band. It's very straightforward and simple, musically, and the goal was to continue writing music that was somewhere in the same ballpark. There were several other songs toward the inception of the band that were much more in line with that goal than the majority of our current catalogue, but they would end up fading into obscurity well before we began to track our first EP. "Not My Home", however, stuck around and ended up on that EP and eventually 'Volume I' (although slightly updated), and it still seems to be one of our most well-liked songs. The premise for the song is basic enough, and yet still one I regularly find to be relevant to my own life. (I'm sure that's also why it's such a favorite track with our listeners.) Life is often full of struggle, temptation lurks around every turn, and staying true to one's calling or principles can often feel like an impossible task, but this song is meant to be a reminder to myself and to anyone who listens that there's much more to everything than what we may immediately see, and that the world as it exists now is only temporary.
Every step I take is a battle
Upon this narrow road
Keep my eyes on what's before me
Find my peace in what I know
In a world system that thrives on selfishness and dishonesty, trying to live and speak righteously proves difficult. Anyone choosing to follow Christ is someone who has committed to a way of life that is decidedly against the grain of this world. Doing things the right way usually means paying up front and reaping the benefits down the road, which in the moment might appear laughable to someone whose modus operandi is to do whatever feels good or is easiest right now. This also means that on the front end it looks like the people who lie or cheat or abandon decency to get ahead might seem to be the winners, but this is an illusion that time will see shattered, without exception. I have to remember to find my peace in what I know to be true, not what seems to be in an immediate instant.
That You have given me a promise
You suffered death to bring me life
And how I long to finally see You
And tell the world I know goodbye
The Gospel changes everything. Christ's life and death and resurrection completely transform the way we ought to see life, ourselves, and the world. The scriptures tell us that this life is just a vapor. Eternity waits just beyond the threshold we know as death, and because of Jesus, we have a promise that infinitely outweighs anything we may face during our time on Earth.
I know this world is not my home
The life I live is not my own
And so I carry on
The chorus is a call for believers to, well, carry on. All of those washed in the blood of Jesus are citizens of a kingdom beyond this place. We are not our own. We have been bought at a price. We belong to the King of all Kings, whose reign is unending, and whose love for us is unmatched.
And though they tear my flesh to pieces
I'll never let them have my soul
Because I know I'm just a stranger
I'm not afraid of letting go
Should it come down to it, I hope I'm willing to endure any amount of alienation or mistreatment that may come as a consequence of following my Savior. I never want to be so intent on pleasing people that I betray my King. I never want to turn my back on Him just to save myself from short term suffering, or even to save my own life. Those redeemed by Christ ultimately have no reason to fear death. We know we're only passing through this place.
This world is not my home
And so I carry on
This world is not my home
This song is an encouragement to everyone who follows Jesus to persevere and endure to the end; not to set our hearts on this world or the things that are of it. We have a promise that will never be shaken. Keep your eyes on the King and carry on!
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