Ep61 Holy Living in Secular Settings w/ Isaac Wicker

"As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world.”
~ John 17:18

How do I share the gospel when others aren't open to it?
Can I be an authentic Christian if my job doesn't allow me to express it openly?
How do I love people who are hostile toward my faith?

Our world is fallen and broken, and in many ways it seems to be growing more opposed to the Christian life. Pat is joined by licensed therapist Isaac Wicker for a profound conversation about this struggle. Whether you're in school, at work, or with friends & family, we all find ourselves in a position of witnessing our faith to those who don't seem to be open to it. They might even be openly hostile toward the faith. But the call of Jesus is not to return vitriol with vitriol or to run away from the world, but rather to engage others with love and a willingness to preach the gospel at all times, with words and actions.

Isaac Wicker is a Catholic therapist, speaker, and content creator with a decade of mental health experience. Outside of his therapy work, he founded and runs two online Catholic programs for integrating faith and mental health: Whole Human Challenge, a 7-week Catholic challenge to uproot anxiety and enliven faith; and KNOWN: Embraced by the Heart of the Father, a 12-week online Catholic journey to heal wounded relationships with God the Father. You can follow his instagram @knownbythefather and find him on YouTube @wholehumanpsychology. Isaac lives in Minnesota with his wife and three children.

Episode 61 Show Notes

Chapters:
0:00: Introduction and Highs & Hards
9:40: Living faith in a fallen world
20:29: Being a living instance of a loving God
28:10: A Catholic therapist in a secular mental health field
37:30: The courage to go into the world
47:11: Challenge By Choice

Reflection Questions:

1. What is one specific thing that stuck with you from this conversation?
2. What secular environments do you live or work in? What challenges and opportunities do you find there?
3. When has someone helped you know God's love when you felt unlovable? When have you shown God's love to another?
4. What is the value of acknowledging someone's good desires, even if they're being lived out in unhealthy or sinful ways?
5. Who is one person who you have a hard time loving, but needs the love of God through your witness?

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.