Music is something that most people connect to, especially when you are talking about Christians and their connection to Christian music and hymns. God has worked in the lives of so many artists and reached millions of lives through Christian music, yet we often take it for granted. Music changes just as fashion changes, from the big hair bands of the 80’s to the alternative grunge of the 90’s. Christian music has gone through many changes as well, throughout the last thirty years especially. One of those who God chose to change the course of Christian music was Michael W. Smith and for over twenty years, he has listened to the call of the Lord on his life and his music.

His Life

Michael W. Smith was born in West Virginia in 1957 and before long, his love for music began. After battling substance abuse problems as a teen, Michael left college and headed to Nashville, TN to embark on a music career that would grow far beyond his wildest expectations. After an emotional breakdown, Michael recommitted himself to the Lord and God began moving Michael to the forefront of the Christian music scene.
He began working as a writer for Meadowgreen Music and authored some hits for various Christian artists including Amy Grant and Kathy Troccoli. He had broken into the music scene as a writer in 1981 and in 1982, he began to play keyboards for Amy Grant.
Each year seemed to bring a new step in the music career that the Lord had planned for Michael and in 1983, he released his first solo album, The Michael W. Smith Project. It was the beginning of a solo career that would reshape Contemporary Christian Music forever and lead the genre into a new age. God led Michael into the spotlight as he stayed faithful to the Lord in his work.

His Music

You would struggle to find anyone who has not heard a Michael W. Smith song, whether they believe in the Lord or not. The aforementioned debut album received a Grammy nomination and included the first recording of the song “Friends�, one of the most well-known and most-played songs over the last twenty years. It was the song that Michael W. Smith is most known for.
He would continue to release albums for nearly a decade, garnering more success with each new album and headlining his own tours. In 1990, God propelled Michael W. Smith to the top of Christian as well as mainstream pop with the release of the album Go West, Young Man. It included the song “Place in This World� which would rise as high as #5 on the AC Billboard chart. The album would go platinum and Smith followed that up with his 1992 album, Change Your World. The album included the song “I Will Be Here for You� which rose to number 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts. This album also went platinum and millions would go to see Michael in concert.
Later on, Michael wrote the classic, “This is Your Time�, a song inspired by the Columbine shootings. He released two Worship albums, two of his greatest works to date, which would lead to more artists releasing worship albums as well. He later wrote “There She Stands� after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. He performed the song at the Republican National Convention in 2004, a reverent performance seen by millions around the world on national television.

Michael W. Smith also performed in the film A Second Chance in 2006. He has also started his own recording label, Rocketown Records, and opened a teen club called Rocketown in Franklin, Tennessee. He has performed at many Billy Graham Crusades, the Columbine Memorial Service, and in many other venues. To date, he has released nineteen solo albums and has won many awards, including 40 Dove awards and 3 Grammy awards. Through all the success, he continues to serve God humbly, understanding that it is the Lord who gets the glory.

What we can learn

No matter what you think of the music of Michael W. Smith, we can learn something from the life of this man. The first thing is to mean what we say; have a message and stick to it. He recorded the song “Friends�, a song that is dear to many people, and he has been a true friend to those he calls his friends. After Amy Grant’s divorce from Gary Chapman, many in the Christian community began to lash out at Amy and even tried to exile her from the Christian community. Michael W. Smith remained by her side and is still friends with her now, not afraid that it will somehow tarnish his image. He wrote that, “Friends are friends forever, if the Lord’s the Lord of them� and he meant that. He is sincere in his lyrics as well as in his life and beliefs. We all can learn to be a true friend and stick beside those who we call our friends in their times of trouble. Too often, Christians are the first ones to pick up stones when someone goes through a tough time or makes a mistake, an action (picking up stones) that is completely unbiblical.

We can also learn to be courageous when it comes to change. There are things that do not have to be done the way that they have always been done in the past and Michael W. Smith is a good example of that. His music has led to a great change in the world of CCM, something that would not have happened had he not followed God or if he had fallen victim to fear. Jesus also lived in that manner, not always dong things the traditional way. Jesus understood the parts of tradition that were needed but He could see where the idea traditionalism was a stumbling block to many in their quest to find God. We all have to embrace some aspects of tradition but be careful of believing that some things cannot be changed.

Michael W. Smith continues to praise the Lord in his work and his work continues to lead others to the Lord. A leap of faith led Michael to embark on a career that the Lord was calling him in to, and God blessed that leap. His music has changed the course of our generation and will change the music scene for generations to come, because he lives what he believes and believes what he sings about.

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