Zach Williams' addiction story and how God radically transformed his life

How God Radically Transformed Zach Williams’ Life after battling addiction.

Addiction is a very prevalent thing in our world and if you find yourself in that season, you should know that even your favorite JOY FM artists battle. Zach Williams spent 15 years with a drug and alcohol addiction until God turned his life around. Listen to his incredible story.

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The battle with addiction

I was getting ready to leave for Europe in 2012, and my wife kind of came to me and she said, “You know, if you can’t make some changes for your family, we’re not going to stick around, basically, and watch you kill yourself.”

Up to this point, Zach had been struggling for about 15 years with a drug and alcohol addiction.

I knew better. I was raised in church and was raised to put my faith in Jesus.

My parents really planted that seed at an early age for me. Had it not been for their walk and their relationship and just the way I saw them live their life, I wouldn’t have known that there was a God to come running back to, or a God that loved me or could forgive me.

It’s not a fancy prayer, it’s not walking to the front every Sunday like I thought I had to do. It’s literally a heart change, it’s you just asking God to come live in your heart.

Zach Williams

And so I realized for the last 33 years, I had missed it. I had made it harder than it was. When I started thinking about this, it’s not a fancy prayer, it’s not walking to the front every Sunday like I thought I had to do. It’s literally a heart change, it’s you just asking God to come live in your heart.

And in return, he just wants your heart back.

Zach Williams’ freedom from addiction

I knew that I needed to make some serious changes for myself personally, for my family, for just everything. And so I was kind of like, “All right, if you’re God, if you’re who you say you are, then if you prove it I’m done with all this.”

And two weeks into that tour, we were in Spain, driving across Spain one day, about eight hours, and the guy driving our bus starts scanning radio stations and stops on “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave of all places, in Spain.

And I was like, “Well, this is no coincidence.”

And so after years of running from maybe a calling or maybe just years of running. And so I called my wife and told her, I said, “Hey, I’m coming home. I’m going to cancel my shows and start going to church.” And June 10th, 2012 gave my life to the Lord.

1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out all fear." 

And I just remember thinking, man, if I’ve been perfected in God’s love, what am I afraid of? If anything, the devil should be scared of me.

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