The first part of a series adapted from Ed’s recent interview with Lecrae.
Ed: Restoration is a key theme in your recent work both musically in your album documentary Restoration and in your new book I Am Restored. Lecrae, why does restoration matter to you right now?
Lecrae: One reason is the personal restoration journey that I've been on: going through a crisis of faith, going through a mental, emotional, and spiritual breakdown. And then, having to journey back toward solid ground, while recognizing that it really wasn't my devotion to God that got me where I am, but his devotion to me. This restorative work has been resonating with me as of late.
Ed: Let's talk a little bit about your own daily life. What are some of those things that have really been transformational both mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
Lecrae: What is key for people to understand—and what I had to understand about myself—is that, coming from kind of the troubled and traumatized background I came from, because of neglect and abuse, I thought performing was how I could gain acceptance and love.
Unbeknownst to me, I carried that into my Christian journey. I would say my identity was in Christ, but I still had an element of performance to help me find value. The more I was heralded in Christian spaces, the more I felt valuable. When I came to a place where I felt like people didn't value me, I had a breakdown. The journey has been a process of understanding where my value ultimately comes from.
It's not in my self-righteous acts.
It's not in how wonderful people think I am or how articulate or incredible I am, but it's really been in the Lord. I've learned a lot of meditative practices. I know some people are wary of that, but the monks meditated. Spending some time in prayer and …