Beyond Me

This song came from a prayer that TobyMac always says as he walks around the studio before writing songs. He told NewReleaseToday: "Most of my writing sessions I stay consistent to this prayer, saying 'God, hollow me of anything that would get in Your way of writing a song. Hollow me of any pride, insecurity and doubt. Make me hollow enough that You can breathe something through me that would turn people's eyes to You. Make me a hollow enough vessel that You can breathe something that is more poetic than I could ever write, more melodic than I could ever sing, more lyrical than I could every rap. Breathe something that is literally beyond me.'" "Out of that prayer one day before writing this song with my friend David Garcia, we said 'maybe that's the song,' that very prayer I had been praying."

Asked about the song's takeaway message, TobyMac replied: "My life verse, Isaiah 43:19, says 'Behold I am doing a new thing in the land, it's springing forth, do you perceive it?' That came all the way back to the dc Talk song 'Nu Thang.' That's where that song came from. I love that Bible verse, because the promise of it is that God is not in the past. He didn't miss anything, and He is doing something new all the time." "I remember studying the 'Experiencing God; Bible study, and I was convicted by the thought 'Don't ask God to be part of something you are doing or ask God to join you in an effort, but go see what God is doing and join in, because He's always doing something.' I think sometimes a lot of us, including myself, stay in the realm of what we can control. Over the last 20 years, I've been coming to grips with being a recovering control freak. I find that I can do things and keep things in my control and I can accomplish things, but I need to get in that position where I am weak and God is strong, knowing that it is beyond my strength to handle." "That's different for everybody. For me, it is about challenging myself to write songs that go deeper. It might mean writing melodies out of my wheelhouse. It might be getting one on one with my daughter and taking her out on a date when I'm used to a big crowd a lot of the time. It's easy for me to run around with my boys and play basketball and football, but it takes more effort for my daddy-daughter time. I want to stretch myself and be who God has called me to be. Give Him the room and know that weakness is a beautiful posture to do something beyond ourselves. I'm a needy man. I need God, and I can't do it on my own."

TobyMac is a perfectionist by nature. It was his realization that he didn't have to be perfect that led to the overarching theme of both the This Is Not A Test album and this song. "Growing up I was taught that we should be able to look in the mirror and say 'I got this. Give me the ball and I'll shoot the three,' he said "But I'm learning like never before that I have to be brave enough to look in the mirror and say 'God, I don't have this. I'm in over my head. I desperately need you. So take me to a place where I know I need you because that's when I'm at my best.'"