What are the avenues to developing a true strong faith and relationship with God? I'm a fan of and work in the popular Christian music scene. Not being religious, I still do appreciate the goodness, comfort and encouragement of the faith based music.

The question that arises is, does Christianity support the idea that a true strong faith can only come from brokenness and struggles in life? Many people are drawn into the faith via this avenue but can faith just as strong grow out of those with relatively less struggle and problems?

For example, here is a typical story of from an artist in the pop Christian music scene:

http://www.klove.com/music/artists/shawn-mcdonald/

and this pastors story

http://www.harvest.org/crusades/testimonies/a-road-less-traveled.html

Any ideas in what Christianity doctrine says abut this is much appreciated.

Thank you for any help.
One of the important elements of conversion is to admit my insuffieciency, to admit that I'm a poor sinner and I can't change it without God's grace. This is much easier to figure out if I'm a big sinner, if I'm broken and if I lose my struggles. There's a correlation between the conscience that I have been forgiven and love for God. In the story of Jesus and a sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 there is an important remark:


  ...whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”


On the other hand, there are people who love a lot even though there are no clearly visible struggles they have been  saved from or sins they have been forgiven. St. Thérèse of Lisieux wondered a lot about the contrast between the Biblic passage linked/ cited above and her love for Christ with no previous time of struggles or sinfulness. After some time of meditations on this problem she got an answer: she have been forgiven before she could sin, God's grace saved her from any temptation she wouldn't resist.

Thérèse of Lisieux is an extreme, but there are people following this pattern. I know at least one guy who figured out he is Christian with no struggles, and he seems to love God a lot.