Matthew West’s song “Good” is a deeply personal reflection on moving away from a performance-based faith to embracing unconditional grace. Inspired by his struggle to feel “good enough” as a preacher’s kid and artist, the song highlights that God’s love is a gift, not earned by good deeds. He shares, “When life feels like it’s drowning you, God doesn’t step back—He steps closer. His faithfulness doesn’t change with the season, and His goodness isn’t dependent on our circumstances. The work was done on the cross. Christ died for you. God sent His only Son to find you. I’m not loved because I’m worthy, I’m loved because He’s good.”
What’s your response to difficulties in life? If you struggle with how you feel when facing challenges, you’re not alone. Bart Millard of MercyMe says the band’s song “Make It Well” actually came from his own wrestling with the hymn “It Is Well.” He shares, “I have sung this all my life. It’s always during tragic times – funerals and moments like that – and I realized during those difficult moments that I’m kind of lying when I say, ‘it is well with my soul’ because normally it isn’t well with my soul. When you’re in the middle of the struggle, it can be tough to sing that song and really mean it. So I kept thinking if I were to write a song like that, I would change the lyric to ‘make it well.’ So ‘Make It Well’ is for those like me who are still in the middle of the struggle – just trying to get by – and who know they are not going to get through it without the help of the Holy Spirit.” Hear this song in the film, I Can Only Imagine 2, in theaters 2/20!
Listen for “Good” and “Make It Well” on uplifting LifeSongs!