Timber Award-winning Christian artist TobyMac says he wrestled with God following his son’s tragic death in 2020 but ultimately saw his faith strengthen, adding that he’s “closer to God” than he’s ever been.
The seven-time Grammy winner told Christian Headlines and other media members at this week’s Dove Awards that contemporary Christian music (CCM) is not the “cut-throat” industry some people think it is.
“It’s a beautiful family,” he said before adding he’s “super grateful” for the people “that came around me and walked with me through this.”
The Dove Awards — the 54th edition — will be televised on TBN on Friday, Oct. 20, at 8 and 10 p.m. Eastern.
TobyMac was nominated for three awards: Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, Short Form Music Video of the Year (Concept), and Short Form Music Video of the Year (Performance). He also will perform.
His first-born son, Truett, died three years ago in October 2020 at age 21. TobyMac’s LP, Life After Death, was his first album since that tragedy. Asked for his advice for people facing a similar situation, TobyMac said, “Everybody grieves differently.”
“The only advice I would have is you might question God’s sovereignty,” he said. “And I think you need to — I think you need to figure out that God gives and takes away, and you have to be okay with that. And once you’re okay with that, I think your faith actually increases greatly. I found myself to be closer to God in the last three years than I ever have in my life. And I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, of course, but I had to figure out and really believe that God is sovereign, and I had to trust that and then look for Him in the hard places — like really look, and He’s there. That’s the thing — He’s there.”
Photo Courtesy: Dove Awards, Used with Permission.
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today , The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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