Mine

The Song: “Mine” by Taylor Swift

Main Point of Discussion: God promises believers that we are God’s special possessions, and because we are His, He will never abandon us.

Vital Info Before You Get Started: (The following should help you contextualize this very popular song so you can have a great discussion about it with your kids.)

• Taylor Swift has released another chart topper with “Mine.” Swift has a talent for writing life-oriented songs that paint pictures of—and tell stories about—what people commonly experience. She definitely connected with “You Belong to Me,” and now a lot of folks are enjoying and relating to “Mine.”

• Don’t appear as if you have a “canned” discussion in your head and rattle off questions like a teacher giving a pop quiz—your kids get enough of that in school. This is a guide, primarily—not a verbatim script. Just familiarize yourself with the content here and start a conversation in the most natural, unforced way you know how.

Lyrics:

• You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables

• Left a small town, never looked back

• I was a flight risk, with a fear of falling

• Wondering why we’d bother with love, if it never lasts

• I say can you believe it

• As we’re lying on a couch

• The moment I can see it

• Yes, yes

• I can see it now

• [chorus]

• Do you remember we were sitting there by the water

• You put your arm around me for the first time

• You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter

• You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

• Fast forward and we’re taking on the world together

• And there’s a drawer of my things at your place

• You learn my secrets and you figure out why I’m guarded

• You say we’ll never make my parent’s mistakes

• We got bills to pay

• We got nothing figured out

• When it was hard to take

• Yes, yes

• This is what I thought about

• [chorus]

• Do you remember all the city lights on the water

• You saw me start to believe for the first time

• You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter

• You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

• And I remember that fight, 2:30 am

• You said everything was slipping right out of our hands

• I ran out crying, and you followed me out into the street

• Braced myself for the goodbye

• ‘Cause it’s all I’ve ever known

• Then you took me by surprise

• You said I’ll never leave you alone

• You said

• I remember how we felt sitting by the water

• And every time I look at you it’s like the first time

• I fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter

• She is the best thing that’s ever been mine

• Hold on

• Make it last

• Hold on

• Never turn back

• You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter

• You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

• Yeah, do you believe it?

• We’re gonna make it now

• And I can see it

I can see it now

Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):

Q: What’s the message of this song?
A: Relationships can be healed and strengthened and solidified despite hardships and doubt and mistakes.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this song?
A: This song is talking about a love relationship between two people (for lack of a better term, romantic). But this song should remind Christians to nurture all their relationships—spouses, friends, and family.

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this song to actually living out those opinions?
A: We shouldn’t run away from those we care about just because times are tough or if there’s an argument. We should show some commitment and resolve, sticking together just as God sticks to us—and will never forsake us or abandon us.

Where to Take It from Here:
Wherever it feels natural. If these questions lead to a longer discussion on the topic, wonderful! (There’s a guide just after this paragraph that helps you do just that.) If your kids are barely uttering grunts, don’t get discouraged—the next time it feels right, try out another song. Keep engaging them.

For Deeper Discussion: (If your kids seem into diving in deeper, the following discussion guide can help take you there.)

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on small groups and drawing questions out of young people—you may find much of the information applicable as you go through this subject with your family members.

Transitional Statement:
Taylor Swift’s song “Mine” is a great illustration of what God has promised us in the book of Hebrews in the Bible—that each one of us is the best thing that has ever belonged to God. We can’t do anything to make God love us more, and we can’t do anything to make God love us less. We can live out our faith with great confidence because we belong to a Father who will never relax His hold on us, and God will always run to help us when we call.

More Discussion Questions:

1. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: Before we dive in, everybody talk things in your life that you would label as “mine”—things that mean a lot to you.
2. HAVE ALL YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ANSWER: Why does the subject in the song doubt that love would last?
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you believe makes her “guarded”? (PARENT—answers you may be looking for: past disappointments, fear of abandonment, etc.)
4. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: In the song what’s the turning point of the relationship? (PARENT—answer you may be looking for: after the fight, the subject thinks the other person is going to leave, then that person promises to never leave)

Read the following passage from the Bible:

1. 1. Hebrews 13:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

…[God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Why do you believe God repeats these promises so many times?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How are we “guarded” with God like the subject in the song is in her relationship? (PARENT—answer you may be looking for: we don’t trust God, we fear losing our relationship with God, etc.)
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How does knowing that God will never leave or forsake us help us deepen our relationship with God?
4. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How does knowing that the Lord is our Helper bring confidence to our everyday lives? (PARENT—the Greek word for “helper” comes from two words: call and run. For example, when we call for help, God runs to assist us).

Wrap Up:
In the original Greek, Hebrews 13:5 literally reads: I will never, no I will never leave you, and I will never, never, never forsake you! God makes that promise five times! So let’s close with a reflective exercise using the word never:

Give your family members pencils and 3X5 cards, then ask them to write the word never five times in a column. Have them think about (or say out loud) that word as you read them the following questions:

God, will you leave me?
God, will you abandon me?
God, will you forget me?
God, will you ever refuse to forgive me?
God, will you ever stop loving me?

Close in Prayer:
Ask a few family members to offer prayers of thanks to God for His promises.