Sunburnt Souls | Faith, Mental Health & Mayhem
The Burdens We Carry: When Faith Feels Too Heavy
Chest pain at your desk is terrifying. Getting rushed to the hospital, spending days in coronary care, and then hearing “your heart is fine” is disorienting. Hearing “it was a panic attack” can feel even worse. Christine Wood joins us to share the moment her body forced an honest conversation about stress, anxiety, and the hidden cost of a life that looks faithful on the outside but is collapsing on the inside. We talk about years in vocational ministry, the pressure to keep everyone happy, and the surprising shame that can come with a mental health diagnosis, especially when you’re the one who usually supports others. From there, Christine tells the story of the circuit breaker she and her husband chose: selling up, resigning, buying a caravan, and taking the long road around Australia. As the pace slows, sleep improves, laughter returns, and the soul starts to breathe again. At the center is Matthew 11:28-30 and Jesus’ promise of rest for the weary and burdened. Christine unpacks the idea behind her book The Burdens We Carried and names several burdens many of us normalize: busyness as virtue, body image pressure, guilt and shame on replay, and the deceitfulness of wealth that crowds out faith. If you care about Christian mental health, faith and anxiety, burnout recovery, Sabbath rest, and practical discipleship, this conversation offers both clarity and hope. Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with someone carrying too much, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What burden do you need to hand back today? Get Christines book here Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way. For more info and tickets, click here IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in Jesus Build life-giving spiritual rhythms Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace Start your 28-day journey today JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...
