When I became a man
I put away childish things
But before I became a man, I didn't always fit the shoes of a king
I was so lost and alone
Listening to a world that said do it on your own
Jesus was an afterthought, this world was my home
Bumping Marshall Mathers in my car like yeah I'm grown
Forget putting God first, I was the lord of my own throne
And searching for satisfaction is all that I'd known
Because before I became a man, I was just another middle-class clone
But when I became a man, I woke up
I stopped wasting my life hoping and wishing that a better life would just show up
I started listening to my mom who for so long said, "Son, you need to grow up"
So I grew up, and then the thought of an average life made me wanna throw up
So I threw up, yeah
I threw up my hands and said, "God, I'm tired of being a boy, I'm ready to be a man"
Because one day, when my son takes my hand
I want him to know that it's not about what his dad said, it's about where his dad stands
I want him to know that I believe in a God who inspires us to have big dreams and bigger plans
I want him to know that, "Son, if God is for you, the naysayers of this world do not stand a chance"
Because there's a difference between being a boy and being a man
When I became a man, I was ridiculed and laughed at
Whispers behind my back like, "Is he really like that?"
"He must be uneducated"
I was put down and degraded
Friendships lost, relationships faded
Only because I chose to live the life for which I've been created
It's funny how when you mention Jesus you're suddenly hated
It's funny because that's the same people who came back around years later
When they saw me in the paper doing things with my life and giving glory to my Savior
And then I'd get a text, an e-mail, a call
"My life is in ruins, can we talk at all?"
Yeah, we can talk, 'cause I'm still here
But I'm just gonna tell you about Jesus even if it's not what you wanna hear
But I'm guessing that you already knew that I would
Because you used to make fun of me for it, misunderstood
So tell me about your life
And I'll tell you about your need for Christ
And we can keep our conversations secret
Your texts about wanting to know more about Jesus, don't worry, no one will see it
But I hope one day you see fit
To step out of the pit that you're trapped in
And run to Jesus and take His hand and find a life filled with purpose and passion
As for the jokes that you cracked when I took a stand
Don't worry about it, life isn't easy when you leave the boys to become a man
When I became a man I did away with the notion of living for the weekend
Because I looked at society, and all I saw was weak men
Giving up on Monday, dying for Friday
Traveling in leased cars on the highways and byways
Like material things is all that defines me
Headed to cubicle jobs, trying to climb the ladder
Clinging to money like it's all that matters
Boys who never became men
Stuck forever in the past tense
Trapped in spiritual adolescence
I became a man, I looked at my peers and said, "I do not wanna be like them"
Clinging to the latest trend, dying to fit in
Judging each other by the cars that they're in
"He's the man, he drives a Benz"
When I became a man, I said I want something more for my life
More than getting wasted under neon lights on Friday nights
Only to wake up on Saturday morning with plans to do it again
There are too many boys in this world and not enough men
I became a man, I said that when I leave this world, I want my life to have had purpose
So I stopped wasting my life on things that are worthless
Every minute on the couch in front of the TV was a wasted moment on a journey that should be defining me
A journey of forming a legacy
And I didn't want that legacy to be neglected
So I looked at this world, and I didn't accept it
I'm not gonna be who you want me to be, no, I absolutely reject it
When I became a man, I picked up my cross and put down my shame
My sins were forgiven in Jesus name
In Jesus name
My sin will forever remain an afterthought of who I used to be but no longer am
Because God saw fit to crucify the Lamb
So that I could land in His ocean of grace
And find my rest in His holy place
Because He took my place, He took my nails
He took my hell, He took my cost
He took it all because He had a plan
And for the first time I saw it when I became a man