Keep On Shinin'

Silence about the good news is the problem in the first verse. "Keep the good news to ourselves, like a secret we'll never tell," Third Day sings, admitting "I don't know why we've been so ashamed." Then the mood lifts: "changes are in the air, sparks are starting everywhere," with "millions of voices, singing new choruses, leading the way to higher ground."

The chorus is a plain command, "keep on, keep on shinin' / wherever you may be," so that it is seen "for all the world to see." The second verse is honest about how hard that is. "Having faith in the long run is easier said than done," and living "out in the light of day" is difficult when "you're bruised and you're battered, your dreams have been shattered."

The encouragement that follows moves from effort to identity: "despite all your tendencies, God sees it differently," and "your struggle's a time to grow." The listener is told "you're a miracle, anything but typical." Matthew 5:16 tells believers to let their light shine before others, Philippians 2:15 calls them lights in the world, and Psalm 139:14 says each person is wonderfully made.