Singer Tasha Layton, who is now one of contemporary Christian music's fastest-rising female artists, experimented with Buddhism and tried other religions all because she was hurt by the church, but in the end, was led back to Jesus.
The worship leader and speaker has never been so sure of her Christian faith. However, she tells her fans that it was not like that for quite some time. The journey has been difficult, "a long and exhilarating one", she tells GOA Music, but she is grateful that she was able to break through and experience victory once again.
From someone who left the church, look for another religion, and even became suicidal, Layton is now going up the charts with songs about the transformative power of Christ.
"I realized in all these things I had experienced, Jesus -not all these other religions- was the only One who had the power to transform me," the singer said.
When she ultimately realized this, there was no other way but up. Last year, her smash hit "Look What You've Done" rose to the top of the Dec. 4-dated list, which gave her her first No. 1 on Billboard's Christian Airplay chart, recognizing her again as one of the Top 5 female Christian artists of the year, as written in her website. The first time she was named Billboard's Top 5 female Christian artists of the year was in 2020 because of her breakthrough single "Into The Sea (It's Gonna Be OK)," which was also one of the biggest hits on Christian radio that year. Her newest song "How Far" has now climbed to No. 25 on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart, barely one month after it was released this year.
Layton told Christian Headlines, when asked to describe her music, she feel that each song is a present from God.
'In Christianity, God Is In Hot Pursuit Of Us'
A native of South Carolina and a backup singer to pop star Katy Perry for four years, Layton grew up in a Christian home. As a teen, she had a strong passion for God, she loves Jesus, reads her Bible every day, and serves the church through her love for music as a worship leader for the youth group. Yet, all these came to an end when the church she was attending need to split apart, leaving wounds and pain into heart caused by unhealthy church family and lies about her worth and talent in music.
When she reached college, she was at all lost. Severely depressed, she hit rock bottom and tried committing suicide by putting a gun into her head, which she narrated on God TV. Fortunately, and miraculously, a friend entered her dorm room, grabbed her, and hugged her.
Feeling empty and unstable, she decided to change her major, from music to religion. She felt the need to search for something and tried to find the truth, help, and peace from other religions. Her search took her to a Buddhist meditation camp, a mosque, a synagogue, and even to a mysticism class in Europe one summer.
All these brought her to a 180 degrees turn, where she was led back to the arms of the Jesus of her youth. "In other religions, I realized that you had to strive to pursue God. You had to be good enough or do all the right things, or to reach enlightenment, whereas, in Christianity, He's in hot pursuit of us," she boldly declares.
She recalled that God's truth move from his head to her heart, which began her journey to healing. She knew right then that she wanted again to serve God with her spirit, soul, and mind. She started attending church and encountered God again until her desire to glorify God through her love for music was awakened.
God's Love Is Never Limited By Our Shame, Says Her Latest Hit
Layton's latest hit "How Far", which was released last month from the album of the same title, tells of the love of God that will never be limited by the shame and guilt of our sin.
In the album's message, the performer says, "It was God's love for us that propelled Him to give His life on the cross. Arms stretched open wide - that's how far He will go," K Love wrote.
No matter how far she has run away from God to the point of trying and learning to worship other gods, God's love always chases her, inviting her back home into His arms. As the lyrics of her song go, "A million miles of my mistakes, still couldn't keep Your love away. However far away I am from home, that's how far Your love will go."
Indeed, being able to share your testimony and victory through songs that people sing and resonate with is a beautiful present from God and to God.
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Watch the testimony of Tasha Layton below
