It’s said that Frank Sinatra never really liked the song. He thought it was self-serving and self-indulgent, but Paul Anka sold him on it.
In 1967, while in France, Paul Anka heard the French song, “Comme D’Habitude,”
(translation “as usual”) a song about a Frenchman whose life and love had been killed by the tedium and monotony of everyday life. And on the way back to New York, at 3:00 am, Anka re-wrote the lyrics and titled them, “My Way”. He then called Sinatra who was performing in Las Vegas and convinced him to listen to it.
On December 30, 1968, Frank Sinatra recorded it and, as they say, “the rest is history”. In fact, in the minds of many, “My Way” is Sinatra’s signature song; though he said he came to loath it.
Now all of us have known people who seem to epitomize the “my way” approach to life. There’s a certain panache to it; a certain rugged individualism to which every soul aspires. And yet, there is no freedom there; no true thanksgiving. There is the illusion of self-sufficiency; but the truth is, the “my way” road is, to quote the grandfather of my good friend, “a tough crust of bread.”
Now think of the opposite approach. Paul would call it the “His way” method. Listen to what he says in Ephesians 1, “In love God predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ…” What a contrast to the “my way” approach those three words detail— “through Jesus Christ”. I love what Charles Spurgeon said of those words so many years ago:
Some Christians seem to be accepted by God through their own efforts and the experiences of their lives. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly minded, so drawn above earth!
But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of fear that they are no longer accepted.
If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father’s sight, but that they stand accepted in the One who never alters, the One who is always the One God loves, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honor the Savior!
Rejoice then, believer, in this: you are accepted “in the One He loves.” You look within, and you say, “There’s nothing acceptable here!” but look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Your sins trouble you; but God has cast your sins behind His back, and you are accepted in the Righteous One. You have to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but you are already accepted in Him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts you, be of good cheer, he can’t destroy you, for you are accepted in Him who has broken Satan’s head.
Know by full assurance your glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than you are. They are only accepted in heaven “in the One He loves,” and you are even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.
I’ll take “His way” over “my way” any day.
It’s hard to imagine a greater gift to celebrate this Thanksgiving than to be found in Him. Happy Thanksgiving, indeed!
