As a father, Matthew West learned the following about God’s love

June 28, 2024

Published: June 28, 2024

Photo from Matthew West’s Instagram

As a father, Matthew West learned the following about God’s love

By Movieguide® Contributor

In a special Father’s Day episode of his podcast, hosted by his wife Emily, Matthew West talked about his feelings about fatherhood and the most important lessons he’s learned as a parent.

“I think the first thing that comes to mind is that (my daughters) have taught me about the heart of God. I feel like my fatherhood to LuLu and Delaney has shown me so much about our Heavenly Father’s heart toward us as children,” West said when asked what parenting has taught him. “I think it’s just expanded my ability to understand — even though we can never fully fathom the depths of God’s love for His children, for us — that being a father and diving into those crazy depths of love for our children shows me more about the heart of a father.”

“It shows me, you know, that God is with us, like I would drop everything just to be with them. I feel like I’ve thought so many times in my life about the love that I have for my children and the relationship that I want to have with them, and the Lord has used that to show me the kind of relationship that He wants to have with me.”

Through parenting, West has also learned to put his selfish desires behind and focus entirely on the needs of his wife and children.

“I think our daughters have made me a better person,” West said. “I always say that marriage was the first slap in the face — not from you — but one of the components of marriage is, ‘Wake up. It’s not about you.’ It’s like someone slaps you in the face and says, ‘It’s not about you anymore.’ Because when you’re single, you’re so focused on yourself.”

“And then having kids was like a slap on the other cheek and saying, ‘Hey, you know what? It’s really not about you.’ Of course, what I’m getting at is the selfish nature that we all struggle with in life when you’re suddenly responsible for other people. It’s a humbling thing in the best way,” he continued.

As a father, West has also learned to put Christ above all else. While he cares about his daughters’ success, what matters most to him is their relationship with Christ and living out their faith.

“I think similar to how my parents raised me – their hope for me – they always instilled in me, ‘Hey, whatever God has planned for you in life, we don’t care what career path you choose. All of that is secondary to the fact that you know Jesus and you follow Jesus.’ I mean, there is no more important decision in life than deciding who you are going to serve and who you are going to follow,” West said.

“And so I think my kids hopefully know that I’m a father who is proud of them no matter what their grades are, no matter what college they go to, no matter what career they choose. All of those things are (secondary) to my hope and prayer for them to serve the Lord and follow His plan for their lives,” he continued. “Because I know that’s the path that leads to fulfillment and joy and a full life — like John 10:10 — and ultimately to an eternity in heaven.”

Movieguide® previously reported:

Matthew West, a world-renowned Christian artist and father of two, remembers his time as a father in his new song “18 Summers.”

“The thoughtful tune, co-written by West with collaborators Jeff Pardo and AJ Pruis, speaks of special memories of his family over the past 18 years of parenting. The piano-accompanied tune is an all-too-relatable track about how quickly time flies, and recounts standout moments from Disney trips to learning to drive and everything in between,” reported Christian Beat.

West released the song on April 26.

“I talk a lot about the power of stories, but this song is literally written in real time in the exact chapter of history that our family is in right now,” West told Woman’s World. “It’s graduation time. My oldest daughter is getting ready to graduate from high school, and my wife and I are both very much in our feelings about it.”

“We’re dealing with all the feelings and emotions of, ‘Wow! How fast has this gone by? This is unbelievable.’ We just had their graduation party last night. Today we’re cleaning up after the party – I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by.”