Former Flyleaf Singer Lacey Sturm Recalls Atheist Beliefs; Says Faith Saved Her Life
Former Flyleaf front woman Lacey Sturm opened up this week about her journey to finding God, including her days as a suicidal drug user desperate for faith and purpose.
The singer is preparing for the release of her book The Reason: How I Discovered A Life Worth Living on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Sturm was compelled to write her story after sharing it with fans who attested that it changed their lives and even quelled their own suicidal thoughts. Discussing the powerful message of God's love in The Reason, Sturm recalled her first understanding of salvation while speaking to The Christian Post.
"I heard the message 'I'm worth loving and created by a good God, my life is important no matter what anybody says' during my encounter with God as an atheist," the singer explained. "That was the first sign; the Holy Spirit gave me that message. Maybe I had heard it before, but I didn't receive it until that message."
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It was Sturm's self-doubt, mistrust and brokenness that prevented the message from getting through earlier, but the singer said it arrived at just the right time, ultimately leading her out of darkness.
"It was such a hard thing at the time in my life to believe in goodness for no reason," Sturm said. "Being the suspicious and critical person I was, I couldn't have heard it until I was broken and just ready for God. It had to be from God."
Today, Sturm actually allows struggles and strife to strengthen her faith. Even in times of loneliness, the singer is able to look to the Lord and remember that all good things come from Him.
"Those times are a lot easier for me, when I'm isolated or life is letting me down, that is easier for me personally to be close to the Lord, as opposed to when things are going well," she told CP. "I feel humbled and thankful when things go well. It's just more surprising because of the way I was raised, my life changed so dramatically, so many times, seemingly not for the better. So growing up without normal resources such as food, a place to live, then watching God meet those needs, it gives you a lot more faith than other people who have money in the bank and homes to go to."
Sturm and her husband Joshua are parents, but she still performs rock songs around the country as she prepares for the release of The Reason. The singer also recently aligned with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, appearing in a video for the "My Hope America" project and opening for Franklin Graham's sermons. Praising his work, Sturm described Graham's willingness to risk even his own life in order for people to have life through the Word of God.
"I get overwhelmed when I talk about Franklin, he is so humble and so wise," said Sturm. "He has a fearlessness ... he will go where radical Islam extremists have threatened to kill him if he comes, and he comes anyway, tells the Gospel, tells those who threatened him that they will be saved and nothing will happen."
In fact, Graham, who wrote the afterword in The Reason, is able to connect with Sturm's fans with help from the singer.
"Me being there sometimes helps him to be able to speak to the younger generation in a way they wouldn't have heard him before," Sturm added. "That's why I had him write the afterword at the end of the book; he gives an invitation, he has a gift from God to call on people to have faith in Christ."
Furthermore, Sturm said that working with the BGEA is helping to bridge a gap in audiences.
"I think it's definitely a new audience in a lot of ways, at the same time its bridging audiences that need to be bridged, the Christian and mainstream walls that need to come down as well as the walls between the older generation and younger generation," Sturm said.
Sturm's book The Reason will be released in stores and online on Oct. 7. The singer is also working on a solo album. Watch a video on why Sturm wrote "The Reason" on YouTube here.
