Cody Carnes is revealing how his worship song “Nothing Else” has personally set him free from the things holding him back in life.
The song is an illustration of repentance with the lyrics, “I’m not here for blessings, Jesus You don’t owe me anything.” Carnes, the worshipper married to fellow musician Kari Jobe, revealed that something powerful happened when he created that line.
“This is the part I talk about the moment that the line dropped in the room like a truth bomb sledgehammer lightbulb from heaven.. I literally got set free in that moment from a season full of disappointment and frustration feeling like I wasn’t getting the things from God I deserved..,” he revealed on social media.“Which led to ‘I’m sorry’ in the verses.. which led to a realization that repentance is such a gift.. to be able to turn from something that’s causing death and RUN to life and freedom.. oh the grace and love of Jesus.”
Carnes shares some in-depth stories about his creative process in a new YouTube video about the song. His wife Kari has also been touched by the song.
“The authentic and true repentance and reverence for God’s presence comes through the story just like it does in the song,” she said in an Instagram post, admiring her husband and his fellow songwriters. “So grateful for these beautiful people and how they steward the gifts on their lives and for writing such a life changing song that’s impacting hearts, lives and churches!!”
In January Carnes introduced the song to the world in a transparent statement about how he stopped prioritizing his relationship with God.
“Nothing Else’ is a song about returning back to what really matters. It came out of a moment last year when I realised my heart had wandered into prioritising God’s hand more than his heart,” he said in a statement. “I was becoming too concerned with what I was getting from him, and disappointed when things didn’t go the way I thought they should. I don’t want my heart postured toward God that way.”
More than writing the new music for anybody else, Carnes explained how much “Nothing Else” has touched his life.
“The week I had that revelation, this song was written,” he said. “It’s already been a gift that has refuelled, refreshed and reset my heart.”
(Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for KLOVE)