By Kayla DeKraker
Christian artist Matthew West opened up about how he deals with opposition and how he sorts what’s useful criticism from what should be ignored.
“It’s tough to not let the comments and social media posts get to you, but to realize like, and I think I’m learning too,” West admitted on Allie Beth Stuckey’s “Relatable” podcast, “I don’t want to be above reproach, like I always want to be teachable and coachable.”
West added, “At the end of the day, like my relationship with the Lord is the driving, my faith is the driving force of my life. Let it guide everything that I do.”
He explained that he’s “not always going to be perfect” but hopes that he will be “bold in my faith and also in a loving way.”
“I’m not I’m not going to pick a fight,” he said. “That’s not my mission in life. And my mission is to tell people about Jesus with my music and stand up for what I believe is right.”
In Mark 16:15, Jesus says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” West hopes his life and music exemplify this command.
Related: Backstage Pass: Matthew West on Family
He emphasized, “At the end of the day, I want to hear the Lord say, ‘Well done.’ But I know that it’s not going to come without criticism or opposition. And I can’t let social media, if I lose followers, so be it.
West told Stuckey that songwriting has awakened him to his mission as a Christian artist.
“I’m a Christian singer, and a lot of my concerts are in churches in front of Christian audiences and things like that. It’s almost like I spent so long in this in this almost like a little bit of a bubble, and I’m like well what does it look like for me to become more emboldened in my faith?” he asked. “I’ve written a lot of songs about that and…my songwriting [has] a way of like jolting me, of waking me up.”
His desire to stand boldly in his faith echoes through his song “Unashamed.”
The lyrics to his song read:
I’m unashamed
Of the gospel of Jesus Christ
And the truth that changed my life
For the Name above all Names
I’m unashamed
And I will live my faith out loud
Take a stand and stand my ground
For the One who took my shame
I’m unashamed
West’s song and story remind us that no matter who we are or what circles we are in, we can be unashamed of Jesus.
Read Next: How Matthew West Uses Stories to Point Fans to God
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