HYMN STORIES: The Songs We Sing
“Where Would I Be?”
This Sunday at the 10:00 service we are introducing a new song to the church. Peter Burton’s song “Where Would I Be” invites us to pause and consider the question: Where would I be without Jesus? It is not a question meant to drag us back into shame. It is a question meant to stir gratitude. Because when we remember what Jesus rescued us from, we can worship Him more deeply for where He has brought us.
Peter Burton describes “Where Would I Be” as “a reminder of the amazing life we have when we say yes to Jesus.” When Christians ask, “Where would I be without Jesus?” we do not have to spiral into fear. We can respond with praise: “Thank God, I’ll never know.”
One of the strongest images in the song is the idea of Jesus “pulling me out of that grave.” It is the story of salvation. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Before Jesus, we were not just struggling. Spiritually, we were dead in sin. But God did not wait for us to climb out on our own. He made us alive through Christ. That means your testimony is not just, “I turned things around.” It is, “Jesus brought me to life.” He reached into the place where sin had buried us and raised us by His grace. The enemy may try to remind you of the grave, but Jesus reminds you that the grave is empty now. You do not live there anymore.
The song also reflects on mercy “pulling me away from my ways.” That line connects beautifully with Titus 3:5, which says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” Mercy means we did not receive what we deserved. Grace means we received what we never could have earned. Together, they tell the story of every redeemed life. So many of us know what it is like to be stuck in patterns we could not seem to break. Maybe it was bitterness. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was pride, shame, addiction, anger, or constantly running from God. But Jesus does not simply point out our sin and leave us there. He saves, cleanses, restores, and redirects.
Another powerful lyric says that Jesus “settled up my cost at the cross.” That thought points straight to 1 Peter 2:24: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross.”
Sin carried a cost we could never pay. Shame told us we were too far gone. The enemy accused us. But Jesus went to the cross and paid what we owed in full. He did not leave us drowning in debt, guilt, or condemnation.
Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That is the freedom this song celebrates. We do not have to live chained to who we were because Jesus has already paid for what we did. The cross is proof that our past does not get the final word. Jesus does. And like the prodigal son referenced in the song’s imagery, we were not met with rejection when we came home. We were met with the love of a Father who runs toward His children.
“Where Would I Be” is ultimately a song of gratitude. It looks honestly at the past without living there. It remembers the chains, the shame, and the grave, but only to magnify the mercy of Jesus. Where would we be without Him? Still lost. Still striving. Still buried beneath sin shame. But because of Jesus, we do not have to know that ending. He rescued us. He redeemed us. He brought us home. And every time the enemy tries to bring up who we used to be, we can answer with the truth of the gospel: “Yes, that is where I was. But Jesus didn’t leave me there.” Thank God, thank God, thank God—we’ll never know.
Can I get an “AMEN!”
Shared by Lindrew Johnson, Director of Worship
