PERFECTLY LOVED

Citizen Way's “Perfectly Loved” speaks to someone who has been told they were unplanned and unwanted. The first verse repeats what other people say, that you were not planned, that you are not wanted, and that you are nothing and just a mistake. It answers that you have a story worth living for and that there is more, so do not give up just yet.

The chorus gives the other side: you do not have to be perfect to be perfectly loved by the one who made you wonderful. No matter what you have done, he makes beauty from ashes, so come as you are. The next section tells the listener not to believe the lie that they do not matter, because someday somebody somewhere is going to be counting on you. The invitation is to come to Jesus, who knows how it hurts and who thinks the listener is worth dying for. The bridge says there is nothing to earn, since life is a gift, and quotes the old hymn about turning your eyes upon Jesus until the things of earth grow strangely dim. The warm pop-rock sound and the direct address make it a song for teenagers and anyone who has believed a harsh label. It suits a youth gathering, a counseling setting or a quiet time when you need to be reminded of your worth.

Being made wonderfully is Psalm 139:13-14. Beauty for ashes is Isaiah 61:3, and Christ dying for us while we were sinners is Romans 5:8.