inherentlyvaluabledespitemany othersascreatedintheimageofGod, strugglingthroughthisstuff.” accoladesandachievements. Levisaid,allowedhimtoextend Theactordoesn'twantotherstoput UnderstandinghisidentityinChrist, forgivenesstobothhimselfandhis himonapedestal,fullyawareofhow alongwiththerapyandsupport,was mother,decadesaftertheabusehe celebritiescancomeacrosstoan life-changing. endured. image-obsessedsociety:"Weshouldn't Despitegrowingupwitha"healthy Publiclysharinghisstoryisboth look[celebrities]like,‘Oh,they'vegotit doseoffaith,"Levisaidhisrelationship catharticandintimidating,Levisaid. alltogether,somehowthey'rebetteror withGodwastestedseverelyduring Yet,hefeelscalledtosharehis whatever,'"Levisaid."We'reabunchof hisboutwithdepression. strugglesandvictoriesinaneffortto schmuckslikeeverybodyelse.We're “WhenIwasinthedarkness,itwas helpotherslearnthatthey,too,canfind struggling…andinalotofways,we're thefirsttimeinmylifefiveyearsago hopeandhealing. strugglingevenmorethanotherpeople whenIfeltperhapsthereisnoGod,"he “Noamountofperformanceisever becauseoftheweirdpressuresand said."Inthatmoment,Ididn'tbelieve goingtoultimatelyearnyourworthor inaGod,becauseiftherewasaGod,I yourlove;youarelovable,andyouare don'tknowwhyIwouldbegoing lovedsimplybecauseyouare,”he “No amount of performance throughthedarknessthatIwasgoing stressed.“Thefactthatweexistisa is ever going to ultimately throughwhereIfelttherewasnoGod." miracle.Weareallthesewalking, "Iwascryingout;literallylike talkingmiracles.” earn your worth or your screamingandcryingouttoGod,to Healsohopessocietywillcontinue helpmeunderstandwhatwasgoingon toreframetheconversationaround love; you are lovable, and withme.AndIwasn'tgettingany mentalhealth,takingitjustas you are loved simply answers.Iwasn'tgettinganythingof seriouslyasphysicalhealth. thethingsthatIhadpreviouslyinmy “Mentalillnessislikephysical because you are. The fact life, feelinglikeIhadgottenclarityand illness.Andasawholespectrum,we answersandvisionfromGod.Soit havephysicalillness,it'slikethe that we exist is a miracle. really,reallyrockedmyworld,”hesaid. commoncoldallthewaytocancer.And Weareall these walking, Lookingback,Leviknowsthose thesameistruewithmentalillness, feelingsofunworthinesswerefromthe youcanhaveverylittle,manageable talking miracles.” enemy.Basedonhisownexperience, things,butit'sstillalittlemental heoutlinesinhisbookpracticalsteps illness,oryou…mightneedtobe readerscantaketoimprovetheir admittedintoapsychiatrichospital judgmentsandthingsthatcomewith mental,physicalandspiritualhealth, andputintoaparticularroomandput thisweirdjobthatwehave.” fromprayerandmeditationtotalking onveryheavydrugsandwhateverthat Andwithhisnewfoundsenseof toalicensedtherapistandfindinga is,” hesaid. purposeandhope,Leviisonamission supportivecommunity. “Thereisnothingtobeashamedof tousehisplatformtoupliftothers, “Theenemy,thedarknesstellsus inanyofthat.Weareallchildrenof whetherit’susinghistalentstostarin you'reuniquelybroken;nobody'sbeen God,andweareallworthyofbeing filmslike“AmericanUnderdog”or brokenlikeyou,nobody'sgoingto lovedoneverypossiblelevel.Ithink sharinghisstorywiththeworld. understandyourbrokenness, that'sthebiggestthingthatChristwas “We'vegotalimitedamountoftime everyone'sgoingtothink,‘Wow,how tryingtogetusalltounderstandwhen thatwegettokickaroundonthisbig, weirdthey'rebrokenlikethisbecause Hewashere.” spinningballofmud,”hesaid.“AndI nobodyisbrokenlikethis,’”hesaid. Thoughhe’sgratefulforhowfarhe’s wanttodoasmuchasIcantobringas “Andthat'skindofweirdand come,Leviisthefirsttoadmithis muchjoytopeopleasIcan.Butalso, messedup.That'ssuchalie.Itisalie recoveryremainsaworkinprogress. giventhejourneythatI'vebeen fromthepitofHell.Weallstruggle Theactoremphasizedthathealingis throughonmyownmentalhealth,I withthesamestuffandwe'veallbeen “notasprint,it’samarathon”—and justfeltlikeifIcantakeanyofthat,ifI strugglingwithitsincethebeginning it’s onethattakesintentionaltimeand cangowalkthroughthoseflames,and oftime.Sowe'vegottobewillingto care. Icanhelpanybodywalkthroughthe accepttheseideasandacceptthatyour “Donotever,ever,everbelievethat sameflamesthatIdid,itfeelslikea brainisveryeasilyhijacked.” youarealoneinthis,”hesaid.“Weare prettygooduseofmytime.” Practicingradicallove,andseeing allinthistogether.Andweareall Christianpost.com 47