Chris Tomlin was going to be a doctor. He even kicked off college in a pre-med program. So much for that idea.
Chris’ life has rocketed a different direction, thanks to a habit he established early in his life: prayer.
“From early on I prayed, ‘God, whatever You want me to do for the rest of my life, that’s what I want to do,’ ” he says.
God’s answering in a big way. If you don’t recognize Chris’ name, then maybe you’ve sang one of his songs in church; at least 17 of them are being sung in churches around the world. Or maybe you’ve heard him on the radio. He’s had five ginormous hits, including “Indescribable” and “How Great Is Our God.”
No radio? Then maybe you’ve seen him touring across the country with the David Crowder Band, Rebecca St. James, Casting Crowns or Matt Redman. Or you may know someone who’s seen him perform at Passion or OneDay gatherings, where up to 40,000 college students come to worship. But even though there’s a huge buzz about him, Chris doesn’t believe any of the success is really about him.
“You can have the No. 1 song on the radio and that’s all great, but that’s going to last six months at best, then fade away,” he says. “But the only thing that lasts to me is that somewhere in Africa or Europe or in South America or in a church in Texas, people are singing one of [my] songs to God. That’s unbelievable to me. I’m humbled beyond belief.”
Chris sees his music as more than a hit song. He sees what he does—and worship as a whole—as a way to help others connect with their Savior.
“I hope [my] music serves others. With worship music there’s a revival. The spirit of God grows in people’s hearts,” he says. “To worship Him is not only to sing our hearts out to God but also to love and serve people.”
His songs reflect not only the power and magnitude of God but also themes like compassion and hope. His latest album, See the Morning, is wrapped in hope.
“See the Morning expresses the idea that God is as faithful as the rising sun,” Chris says. “Though your life may be shifting all around you and it may be dark, there’s hope.”
That hope has carried Chris though his own dark times.
“Sometimes people look at me and think, You play music for a living, and you don’t know what I’m going through, but [my band and I] don’t stand on stage and tell you we have it all together,” he says. “I have definite disappointments in life, but we serve a God who holds it all together.”
Chris’s popularity has gained him celebrity status and fame, and he gets to see the world, but this has given him a greater urgency to point people to God.
“Around the world, I’ve been exposed to much poverty and sickness. The world’s full of discouragement,” he says. “I think God wants to give us all great compassion for those, so I want to use my voice to write songs that serve as a reminder to people that Jesus’ life provides hope for us all. Not just in the good times, but in the bad times as well.”
When he’s not traveling or recording, Chris still leads worship at the church he co-founded in Austin, Texas—and quickly drops any of the “rock star” lifestyle.
“I’m just a very normal person. I come from a very small town,” he says. “I’m trying to live out my walk with God just like everyone else.”
A good day off is hanging out with family and friends, having Tex-Mex and a nice iced tea and getting outside. Chris says he played a lot of high school sports, and the athlete in him likes to stay busy when he has time.
“I love to go running, play tennis—something where I can work up a sweat,” he said. “I don’t like just sitting around.”
Though Chris never considered pursuing music, the longer he was in college working on those doctor plans, the more God turned up the volume on His plan. The more Chris played, the more popular he became.
“I’d be answering calls at my apartment in school and getting invites to play. I had no idea how these people were getting my name,” Chris said. “God started making a way. It wasn’t even my plan—it was God’s plan, and I was trying to follow it.”
Next thing you know Chris connected with Louie Giglio, who launched the Passion conferences. He started playing in front of thousands of students each year and recorded songs for their live discs. But no matter how many albums or shows he’s done live, Chris Tomlin’s still in awe of God’s plan—and the place He has him for now.
“Every night I sit before we play and I’m like, ‘We’re in another city and these people have come to hear us and hear this music,’ ” he said. “I think it’s amazing. It really fires me up.”
About Chris
