Surrender comes at a price, but SEU Worship finds beauty in sacrifice on “The Cost Is A Joy.” A musically complex, synth-soaked worship anthem, “The Cost Is A Joy” is led by the group’s Chelsea Plank, who co-wrote the selection with Austin Shuffitt and Cameron Giddens.
RELATED CONTENT: Faith Behind The Song: 'The Cost Is A Joy' SEU Worship
Rooted in the story found in Matthew that details the parable of the hidden treasure, “The Cost Is A Joy” serves as the penultimate track on SEU Worship’s latest live effort, “Found In The Field.” Matthew 13:44 inspired the heartbeat behind not only the song but also the full album. The verse declares, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.”
In a culture that claims being a Christ follower requires us to give up too much, even at the expense of personal happiness, the Dove-nominated collective’s new single poses a different question: What if surrendering our lives to Jesus leads to even greater joy?
The song intentionally doubles down on Scripture, integrating the truth found in Philippians 3:7-8: “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.”
While the first portion of the building anthem focuses on laying down our own agendas for the sake of Christ, the second half centers on Jesus’ sacrifice, referencing Hebrews 12:2: “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”
Anchored by “The Cost Is A Joy,” “Found In The Field” also includes collaborations with Aodhán King and Abbie Gamboa. In support of the project, SEU Worship will headline select dates this fall, as well as into 2027. In the meantime, Plank is currently on the road opening for Gamboa as the Southeastern University alum shares tunes from her upcoming solo endeavor.
