Faith Isn’t a Free Pass from Anxiety, But It’s the Road to Hope
By: Laura Bennett
Whether you’re a follower of Jesus or not, mental health issues can affect us all.
When you do know Jesus though, there can be pressure to have quick resolution to your concerns and find full relief in your faith.
Worship pastor Josh Baldwin has been part of the Bethel Music collective since 2014. In recent years his wife Sheila experienced debilitating anxiety with effects that rippled through the family.
“A little over a year ago [Sheila’s anxiety and depression] had hit and all-time rough spot in our home,” Josh said in our interview. “When you’re married you don’t just go through things alone, it’s both of you together.”
Josh would hear Sheila say things like “I don’t feel like I’m in control of my world around me”, and “I feel like I’m wrestling with my demons”. He realised he needed to write an honest song about what his wife was going through.
In church “we sing a lot about [Jesus] being our Saviour, our Friend, our Healer, our Defender,” Josh said. “But He’s also our Prince of Peace. He also just sits with me. He’s with me in this moment.”
Pondering that reality inspired the song Prince of Peace, from Josh’s latest live album Made for More.
The lyrics read:
I’ve been walking by troubled waters
Here in the shadow all alone
And I’ve been worried about tomorrow
Stuck in a world I can’t control
I met You as a Savior
I’ve found in You a friend
I’ve seen You as a healer
My help and my defense
God, You’ve been my provider
Right now what I need
Is You to be my Prince of Peace
“The last few years has taught us we need to be honest about what’s going on with our lives, but also honest about helping people through it,” Josh said. “In what we do, and who we are as believers, it’s so vital to also put in the hope of Jesus in that.
“We need to [write songs] that don’t just come out of hurt, but out of healing.”
Josh acknowledges his wife’s anxiety “is still a struggle – it’s not like ‘I’m done with this now’ – but we’ve seen victory and we’ve seen healing, and it hasn’t been to that level”.
Whether dealing with our mental wellbeing or simply managing the day-to-day, Josh believes understanding God’s character is key to our own resilience and identity.
“Especially in this day and age we’re getting bombarded and hit with so many outside voices,” Josh said.
“Things try to tell us who we’re supposed to be – or who we’re not – and I just think it’s so important to be grounded in knowing who the Creator of the universe says you are.”
If you need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
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About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.
