Chris Renzema - Steal Back Your Joy Lyrics
Lyrics
Verse 1
We've been living with the lights out
Seeing by the light of the moon
We've been walking like blind men
But there's a dawn that's breaking soon
Pre-Chorus
And it feels like that snake's taking all that it can take from you
Chorus
So go on, steal back your joy
The destroyer's plans are all that are being destroyed
Go on, take back your life
'Cause death's the only thing that's dying tonight
If the thief comes to steal your flame
Well go on, and take it back again
Verse 2
We've been living in hospitals
Waiting on more bad news
Holding onto a hope
We'll get through these waiting rooms
Pre-Chorus
And you feel like that's snake's taking all that it can take from you
Chorus
So go on, steal back your joy
The destroyer's plans are all that are being destroyed
Go on, take back your life
'Cause death's the only thing that's dying tonight
If the thief comes to steal your flame
Well go on, and take it back again
Post-Chorus
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh
Chorus
So go on, steal back your joy
The destroyer's plans are all that are being destroyed
Go on, take back your life
'Cause death's the only thing that's dying tonight
If the thief comes to steal your flame
If the thief comes to steal your fla-a-ame
If the thief comes to steal your flame
Well go on, and take it back again
Video
Chris Renzema - "Steal Back Your Joy" (Official Audio Video)
Meaning & Inspiration
Chris Renzema’s "Steal Back Your Joy," found on his 2020 album *Let the Ground Rest*, is a powerful anthem of spiritual resilience, speaking directly to the weariness that can creep into our lives. The song’s narrative begins by painting a picture of darkness and uncertainty, describing a state of living "with the lights out" and "walking like blind men," a potent metaphor for spiritual or emotional despondency. This imagery evokes the pervasive sense of despair that can make navigating life feel like stumbling through shadows, a feeling amplified by the pre-chorus’s acknowledgement of something actively trying to drain one’s spirit, personified as a “snake” taking all it can. The verses that follow, particularly the mention of "living in hospitals" and "waiting on more bad news," resonate deeply with the human experience of enduring hardship and uncertainty, holding onto hope amidst suffering, much like those in Isaiah 61:3 who are described as being clothed in ashes but anticipating a garment of praise.
The song’s core message, however, is a bold call to action, urging the listener to "steal back your joy." This is not a passive plea, but an active reclaiming. The lyrics powerfully declare that the plans of the "destroyer" are ultimately self-defeating, becoming "destroyed," and that the only thing truly dying is death itself. This resonates with the Christian understanding of Christ’s victory over sin and death, as spoken of in Romans 6:9: "For Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death has no more dominion over him." The central refrain, "If the thief comes to steal your flame, well go on, and take it back again," is a direct echo of Jesus' teachings in John 10:10, where He states, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." Renzema’s exhortation to reclaim one’s life and joy is therefore deeply rooted in the promise of abundant life offered through faith. The repetitive, almost chanting quality of the post-chorus and the final repetitions of the chorus serve to solidify this message, transforming it from a gentle encouragement into an unwavering declaration of spiritual authority and the inherent right to live in the fullness of God's intended peace and joy. This song, through its honest portrayal of struggle and its triumphant call to reclaim what has been taken, offers a profound reminder that hope is not a passive state, but an active pursuit rooted in divine promise.