When Zach Williams reads the fable of the prodigal son, he sees himself in the story.
Like the wayward son in the Bible story, Williams separated from his family as an adult and rejected the beliefs and values he had been taught from birth. He became addicted to marijuana. He became a heavy drinker. He formed a Southern rock band and toured all over the world. And he realized that there was a hole in his heart that could only be filled by Jesus.
In his new book, Williams details his path to redemption. Rescue Story: Faith, Freedom, and Finding the Way Home, released on February 27th (Zondervan). The Christian artist has released a string of hit songs in recent years that have inspired millions of people, including five songs that reached number one on the Billboard Christian Airplay. chart. (Chain Breaker, Old Church Choir and there was jesus — a collaboration with Dolly Parton — remained at the top of the charts the longest. ) He won two Grammy Awards.
“My father was a worship leader. My mother sang in church,” Williams told Christian Headlines.
He experienced God at a young age in church, he said. However, he would sometimes feel unwell during the service and hide in the bathroom until the service was over.
“When I turned 18, I ran as far and as fast as I could for the next many years,” he said of church. Williams became a party.
“For about seven or eight years of my life, there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t smoke marijuana. It was my way of life, my way of life,” he said. “My father owned a construction business, and for me, that was the only joy of going back and forth to construction sites. It was like, ‘If I’m going to do this, I’m going to have to do this all day long. I felt like, “I have to do it.”
Williams then transitioned from marijuana to alcohol.
“I started drinking more and more. I was more of a big party eater,” he said.
His alcoholism worsened after he formed the Southern rock band Zach Williams and the Reformation in 2007. The group released two albums. We toured America and Europe. He was doing what he had always wanted to do, which was to be in the spotlight and sing music. However, he found the experience unsatisfying.
“You get on stage, you party, you get off stage, you party, you wake up in a different city, on a different couch, in a different hotel room,” Williams said. “…I ended up in a situation where I wasn’t happy with it.
“The couple of hours I was there were the only times I really felt full in my life,” Williams said. “And when you get off stage, you’re left with a feeling of emptiness that you’ve been searching for all your life. And I think that’s where drugs and alcohol come into play, to try to numb the emotions that you only feel for a moment each day.” .”
A turning point in Williams’ life and career came in 2012, when he was preparing for a tour. His wife gave him an ultimatum.
“I was about to leave for Europe in 2012, [my wife] “If you can’t change for the sake of your family, [and] You came back worse, and it’s over. ‘And he didn’t want to lose his wife and children. “Her wife was pregnant with her daughter,” he told Christian Headlines. “And I remember about a week into leaving on that trip, I was so tired of being in that place. And I said, ‘God, if you If it’s real, prove it, and if you can.” [then] I walk away from all of this. ”
The next day, Williams felt God’s presence.
“We were on an eight-hour bus ride across Spain, and the driver was checking the radio stations. A Big Daddy Weave song came on the radio. You could almost hear the lyrics. It stopped at the radio station due to its length.”
The song was Big Daddy Weave redeemed.
“And I got to my hotel room and I looked up that song and started listening to the lyrics. And in that moment, I realized that God saw me in a way that I never would have seen myself. And my wife I called him and told him about it. And I said, “When I get home, it’s over.” [with the band]. ” And I returned home from that tour, quit the band, and gave my life to the Lord on June 10, 2012. We started attending this church and within a year they asked us to help set up a campus. And I started working for them and leading worship. I started writing Christian music and was invited to Nashville to write some songs. ”
During a songwriting expedition in Nashville, he wrote: chain breaker, The song topped the CCM Airplay chart for 15 weeks in 2016.
Williams believes his parents loved him through his prodigal years.
“I am so grateful to have parents who are examples of Christ. They loved me deeply, never judged me, prayed for me, trusted me, and believed that God had a plan for my life. “They kept believing in me,” he said.
The theme of Williams’ life and book is hope, he said.
“My prayer is that people walk away from this situation and realize how much God loves us,” he said. “…If you can do it for me, you can do it for anyone.”
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Image credit: ©Zondervan
Michael Faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His story was published in Baptist Press. Christianity Today, Christian Poecent, of leaf chronicle, of toronto star and of knoxville news sentinel.
