Lauren Daigle, Sadie Robertson Huff on How to Enter God's Rest, Overcoming Fear & Panic

Grammy Award-winning Christian musician Lauren Daigle and former Duck Dynasty star, now motivational speaker and author Sadie Robertson Huff had a candid conversation about how they have learned to overcome anxiety, fear, and panic and enter into God's rest.

In a recent episode of Robertson's "Whoa That's Me" podcast, Daigle was the featured guest and talked about her newest self-titled album, Lauren Daigle, which is releasing on Sept. 8.

During the show, Robertson Huff asked Daigle how she handles the pressures of her career and how at one point she battled anxiety.

"Beginning of 2021 to the end of 2022, I went through...the highest amount of depression I have ever felt. The highest amount of fear I've ever felt. The highest amount of anxiety I've ever felt...I only say this to say I went through a series of panic attacks — like legitimate, probably should have gone to the hospital — panic attacks and some of them happened on airplanes," the singer-songwriter shared. 

"I'm saying this to say, for anybody who's in the process of that right now ... it is real. … You do feel like you're crazy," Daigle continued. "You do wonder what is going on, like, 'I feel like something else is taking over my body.' But, these are the things that I really feel like the Lord has brought me through."
 
During the podcast, Daigle shared that she has learned to breathe, rest, and refresh herself in the Word and in the Spirit of God.

"You know, our careers can move at lightning speed. If we want to make something happen, we can figure out a way to make it happen," the vocalist explained. "But operating out of a place of rest is so much more fruitful. It doesn't mean that you won't have the pressure that says, 'Why are you taking that break?'...but the cost of not working out of a place of rest is so much more damaging than taking that time off."

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Daigle continued, "God is superior and He can expedite time and make time work on your side. Time isn't a factor to Him. It's a factor to the world. And if He can make the whole world in seven days, then He can make our careers and our lives organized and work when we are operating in a place of rest."

The 31-year-old said she continually reminds herself that God is her source. 

"I had to remind myself, 'Lauren you are not going to bow to the kingdom of this world, but bow to the Kingdom of the Lord' and that looks like operating in a place of rest."

Robertson Huff, 26, said she has also faced anxiety, and reiterated how in the hard moments God has shown her that he is taking care of everything concerning her. 

"Even while we are resting, He is watching over [us]. He is working. He is doing things. And so you really can't take the pressure off of yourself when it comes to Kingdom thing, especially, because it is like God is in that" she shared. "He is building Kingdom on earth with you."

The pair shared that they lean on the word of God when they are struck with fear. Robertson Huff said she even shares scripture with her two-year-old daughter when she is afraid.

"Those are the exact things I'm teaching Honey right now," Robertson Huff said. She's two years old, but she already gets anxious. And  one of her two Bible verses that she knows now are 'Fear not, for I'm with you.'" 

"The other day [Honey] started getting scared in her room, and I heard her say, 'Fear not, for I am with you.' And she said, 'There's no monsters.' And it was so sweet. And then, she'll go, 'The joy of the Lord makes me strong.' And she does that when she's sad. … I'm already giving her those tools. … Even now, when she says that, it shifts her mind," Robertson Huff explained.

Daigle shared that she took a five-year hiatus from music because of struggling with her mental health, but working on her latest project has helped her heal.  

"The process of making this record was very restorative and very redeeming. I started the process of writing with so much fear, and so much intimidation. This record God used to rejuvenate me and to remind me of the pure things....to remind me of the things that matter, not just according to the industry but according to the Kingdom," she said. 

"My dream for this record is that it would bring peace, solace, and comfort [to others]," Daigle added.