From ‘Emotional Insanity’ to Spiritual Security

About The Podcast

Ben Peterson describes his upbringing as “emotionally insane”—a father with OCD and myriad addiction issues; a mother with borderline personality disorder; a constant parade of screaming matches. That, combined with the emotional scars of seeing combat duty in the Middle East with the Army, meant the deck was stacked against Ben in terms of ever forming healthy attachments with other people. But through introspection, close friends who weren’t just work buddies, and a commitment to the responsibilities God places on us as men, he was able to save his marriage from disaster and build healthier relationships. Ben talks with Nate Dewberry this week about unpacking our childhood traumas and why they make us the way we are, as well as spiritual warfare, the true purpose of marriage, and how his ministry, Engage Your Destiny, is helping soldiers and veterans deal with the traumas they’ve brought home from war.

Show Notes

Additional Resources

Engage Your Destiny, Ben’s ministry (engageyourdestiny.org)

Engage Your Destiny: Practical Ways to Run After Your God-Given Purpose by Ben Peterson

Timestamps

0:00—Intro/Ben describes his traumatic childhood

7:31—How Ben ended up in the Army, and how it affected him

12:19—Ben unpacks his childhood traumas as an adult

16:52—The purpose of marriage and the temptations that threaten it

26:04—Having men in your life who mentor you and hold you accountable

29:14—Ben’s ministry and what it does for men in uniform

33:48—Praying for the wisdom to make better, more thoroughly considered decisions