God Encounters
Phil Wickham’s Response to Personal and Professional Crises
If you’ve ever faced moments in your life where everything you depend on starts crumbling down, you can relate to a story Phil Wickham, contemporary Christian musician, singer, and songwriter, shared with Family Life Radio.
Known for his hit song “This Is Amazing Grace,” Phil encountered a severe health challenge that threatened to silence his career forever. He found this to be much more than a physical battle; it also became an intense spiritual journey that redefined his identity and purpose through faith.
Valley Moment and Initial Despair
Phil’s journey into the valley began at the pinnacle of his career when he first single, “This is Amazing Grace” hit number one on Christian radio. However, the celebration was short-lived. “The week that song hit number one, I got diagnosed with a polyp on my vocal folds.”
Phil couldn’t sing at all because of it. He says, “So I didn’t even know what it meant. The doctor said, ‘Hey, you got to be ready for an uphill battle. We might have to do surgery, but we’re going to keep you on vocal rest for a month taking steroids. Don’t talk, don’t sing for a month, and we’ll see you in a month.’”Phil says, “So I canceled a month of stuff, and then went back a month later and they said, ‘Now there’s no improvement.’”
The sudden threat to his singing career plunged him into despair, where he grappled with feelings of worthlessness and depression. “And I’m just like, do you know what you’re saying to me right now? This is my livelihood. My heart sank. I was really depressed and, more than I thought I should be even then,” Phil admits.
Phil’s prayer and self-talk went like this: “Why am I not trusting you, God? Come on, the Lord is my Shepherd, right? I should be in this trusting mode. But right now, I just feel depressed, and I feel like I’m losing something really important to me.”
Not in this moment, but he later realizes, “I just really felt like I was losing the thing that I measured my worth by. You know, this is what people clapped for!”
It’s easy to feel like your value is tied to what you do rather than who you are.
Encountering God
But it was in the depths of uncertainty and fear that Phil encountered God in a transformative way. Tasked with writing a message to a group of church leaders about his situation, Phil was struck by the theme of the conference he had to cancel—identity. This coincidence sparked a profound internal dialogue with God, where Phil wrestled with who he was beyond his music.
“Who am I?… You’re my father… It makes me a child,” he reflected. This realization, that he was first and foremost a child of God, began to shift his perspective.
In Romans 8:15-17, Paul writes, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’” (NIV). Embracing this identity can change how you face every challenge.
Your value is not based on human standards but on God’s eternal love.
Transformation Through Faith
With a renewed understanding of his identity, Phil’s outlook began to change: “My heart has gone from a place of saying kind of woe is me … to I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do.”
This shift from despair to anticipation is crucial when navigating life’s challenges. In James 1:2-4, as believers we are encouraged to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (NIV).
In addition to Phil’s internal transformation, he also experienced a miraculous physical recovery. Just weeks after a surgery that threatened to permanently alter his voice, the doctors were astonished at his rapid healing. “You won’t believe… I would say you’ve never had surgery before,” the surgeon exclaimed. This unexpected outcome was a clear demonstration of God’s intervention, reinforcing Phil’s renewed faith.
The impact of this experience extended beyond just a recovery. It realigned Phil’s purpose and deepened his commitment to serve the church with new songs, fueled by joy and a clear identity in Christ. “My identity is child of God,” he affirmed, a truth that drives his life and ministry.
When you find your identity in Christ, it changes how you view yourself and transforms how you live out your faith, even in the face of great trials.
So, what defines you? Are you measuring your worth by what you do, or by who you are in God? No matter the valley, you are a child of God, and He has a purpose and plan for your life that goes far beyond what you can see right now.
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