Christian singer Matthew West believes that the only way to discover one’s true identity is to look to God, a perspective he drives home in his new book, “Hello, My Name Is: Discover Your True Identity.”
West recently told “The Church Boys” podcast that he believes the search for identity is something every human being can relate to. And in speaking about the importance of determining one’s true self, the singer also warned about the dangers of people mistakingly embracing lies about themselves, saying that these mistruths “begin to show up in your life.”
“We’re trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here what sets us apart, what makes us special,” the singer said of the human experience. “Throughout the journey there’s a bunch of pitfalls along the way and the world tries to get us to believe a lie about who we are.”
That’s why West believes it’s essential to look to God first rather that simply seeking the answers inside of ourselves. And he’s hoping his book “Hello, My Name Is” helps direct readers on the journey to “find their truest, most fulfilling identity.”
This quest is no easy feat in a world in which pinpointing identity seems to be more daunting than ever, with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter allowing people to choose which self-image they want to distribute to the world, regardless of whether the resulting perceptions are accurate or representative.
“The world goes out of its way to make us believe that were simply not good enough,” West said, adding that he’s hoping to show people who God is and “what he says” about each and every individual.
West said writing the book was a journey that forced him to dive deeper into his own life experiences as well to pinpoint areas where he, too, has missed the mark. In the end, he discovered that he’s long battled with insecurity.
“(There were) different parts of my life that have led me to maybe believe a lie that I’m not good enough,” West said.
And while he acknowledged that insecurity might seem like an odd problem for a guy who routinely gets on stage and performs before thousands of people, he explained: “A lot of times … the people who seem the most confident are the ones who are the most fragile.”
During the interview, West also discussed his unique approach to songwriting — one that focuses on telling others’ personal stories rather than his own. While he started his career with music that spoke about his own life, he soon found himself increasingly fascinated by the experiences of others.
And after a vocal surgery that threatened to end his career he thought, “What would happen if I began to turn my process around (and share others’ stories)?” After he recovered, that’s exactly what he decided to do, inviting fans to send him their personal testimonies. To date, he’s received more than 40,000 stories and he’s turned many of them into songs.
“A story told is so much better than a story kept hidden,” he said. “The weakest moments in our lives help us grow stronger.”
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