Matthew West wears a lot of different hats. He’s an artist, a podcast host, an author, a nonprofit co-founder, an artist manager, a husband and a father. Yet, with 30 No. 1 hits to his credit, he is, perhaps, best known as a songwriter. Along with taking a slew of his own recordings to the top of the charts, West is the secret sauce behind many of Christian music’s biggest hits currently on the radio today, including CAIN’s “Any More,” Anne Wilson’s “Strong” and Casting Crowns’ “All Because of Mercy.”
Somewhere between penning cuts for other acts and becoming a mainstay at Christian radio himself, West started leaning into the stories of longtime listeners for inspiration. It’s a tradition he’s continued ever since and an approach that’s resulted in countless fans finding themselves in the “Don’t Stop Praying” singer’s music. The habit of setting melodies to people’s lives has made West’s legacy that of a storyteller. And if his expertly crafted songs aren’t proof enough, he provides further evidence of this in his brand new book, “My Story, Your Glory,” a thoughtfully written, 30-day devotional that encourages fans to discover their place in God’s story.
Named after his acclaimed double album, “My Story, Your Glory” takes readers through their own narratives to affirm that there really is no aspect of our lives that God is not uniquely invested in. The fresh devotional serves up short moments of daily inspiration that each conclude with questions, prompts and activations to spark discussion, reflection and next steps. In addition, it provides ample space for journaling, culminating in a keepsake that will support readers’ journeys of faith for years to come.
A combination of personal anecdotes, stories of people he’s met, and lessons He’s gleaned from Scripture, “My Story, Your Glory” shines a light on universal areas of the human experience — identity, shame, forgiveness, suffering, and more. As the author, the in-demand lyricist doesn’t play the expert. Instead, West’s natural humor and light, conversational tone make him feel like a relatable friend simply trying to figure out his purpose, his faith, his life — and the role he assumes in all of it — just like the rest of us.
The two-time K-LOVE Fan Award winner shares how he was rejected by every record label in town before finally signing a deal with the label that introduced him to his wife — and what all the “nos” taught him. He confesses to struggling with the concept of rest — even though it was God’s original idea. He acknowledges his anxiety about his teenage daughters starting to date — and the example it challenges him to set for them. He admits to once playing a show where no one showed up — and how that made Him realize he only ever needs to play for an audience of One.
Yet, despite briefly inviting readers into his own world, the book is less a collection of personal reflections and more a collage of wisdom West has picked up along the way. Fragments from his earliest days as a pastor’s kid growing up in Chicago, glimpses of his life at home with his wife and daughters, snapshots of the highs and lows of a professional path that’s anything but linear — it’s all buried in the examples he supplies to highlight more significant truths.
“My Story, Your Glory,” however, isn’t focused on West’s own narrative. It’s centered around the bigger story written by the Author and Finisher of our faith — and how all of our stories are more similar than we might think and more intertwined than we can possibly imagine. Instead of a seasoned leader, West acts as a teachable sojourner as he walks alongside readers to uncover how to live the stories we were ultimately created to live.
“There is nothing more inspiring and uplifting than witnessing stories of God at work in people’s lives. Our testimonies of God’s faithfulness have the power to embolden each other, carry each other through hard times, and change the world,” West offers of the impetus behind his sixth title as an author. “This is a devotional about your story…a guide to help you remember that your story is being written by the Master Storyteller and that you are here on this Earth for a very important reason: to give God glory. I’m excited to spend 30 days with you learning how to craft, share, and live a more meaningful and fulfilling story with the one life we get to live. It’s your story for His glory.”
West recently took over the mic as a guest DJ on K-LOVE, where K-LOVE listeners were among the first to hear stories from his new book.
