Jennifer Jeffries, a 17-year-old singer-songwriter who is a senior in high school from Starkville, Mississippi, stunned judges and made it to the next stage of the hit “American Idol” television program with her original song, “Change My Ways.” The song is about God and turning toward him and his desires, as makes sense for Jennifer, a committed Christian.
Ms. Jeffries, the youngest of nine siblings, performed the incredible song that she composed on Sunday, March 3, making it past many of the other contestants with her beautiful voice and incredible lyrics. Those lyrics relate the story of someone who knows about God but doesn’t truly know Him, then changes and tries to stop living a sinful life and start living a godly one.
In the song, Ms. Jeffries says, “I’ve got a Bible on my desk, with no highlights, creases, pages are still crisp.” The song continues, “I have been feeding flesh. I have been living in sin. My mouth’s been running wild, and I’ve been acting like a wild child.” Further, it includes a prayer, in which she declares, “God, I know you’re there,” and begs, “make Your ways my ways.”
She then vows, “I’ll sing your praise for all my days.” Continuing the vow, she sings, “I’ll finally change, Lord. Make your ways my ways.” Concluding, Jeffries contrasts the Bible at the end of the song, which is well worn, full of “faded pages” and “highlighted paragraphs,” with the Bible from the beginning of the song, one that was new and unused by all appearances.
All three of the judges loved the song, sending her to Hollywood Week, the next week of the competition. Jeffries, celebrating that success on Instagram, wrote, “I’m at a loss of words right now! I cannot express how thankful i am to be going to HOLLYWOOD!!!! LETS GOOOOO WE GOT THE GOLDEN TICKET 🎫!!!!!!💙🩷🩵
@americanidol #idol #jenniferjeffries”
Commenting on what she writes songs about in an interview before the performance, Jeffries said, “The songs I write, they’re about personal things — the things I’ve been through.” She added, “I write things that people can connect with them and know they’re not alone. A lot happens in life, a lot of pain but a lot of joy.”
Watch her here:
Writing about her faith and how she came to it in a November of 2022 post on Instagram, Jeffries wrote, “As I started writing this song back in August I took a handful of breaks debating whether or not to finish it or show it to people. In the song I sing about the misconception I had of God and Christianity. Only being loved by God while in the church. Being a flaw in Gods design. Being dammed to hell for all my wrong doings.”
Continuing, she added how she learned more about Christianity and God’s love and mercy, saying, “I have never been more glad to be so wrong. Gods love isn’t paper thin. It’s not confined to stay between four walls. We feel we have no worth but God thought we were worth dying for. As Christian’s no sin can keep us out of heaven. And no sin can keep of from the love and forgiveness of God, who is omnipresent. We shouldn’t use grace as an excuse for sin, but we shouldn’t use sin as an excuse not to forgive.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video