Outspoken Catholic and Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg recently said that he credits “everything good and everything positive” in his life to his faith in God.
Wahlberg told Fox News, “As soon as I started putting my faith and focus on God, good things started happening for me. And even when they didn’t, it gives you the coping skills to deal with things that are inevitable, like loss and failure and those things. But, you know, again, my faith and my family, those are the most important aspects of my life.”
He’s echoing James’ words from James 1:13-17, where James wrote that everyone is tempted by desire, but every good and perfect gift comes from God. For context, in this passage, James is writing to the early Christians, telling them that, although they will undoubtedly face challenges in life, they should find joy in God’s purpose and plan by focusing on all that is good, resting in the fact that it all comes from the Lord.
Wahlberg has never shied away from discussing his prayer life and faith. The star has often discussed his early morning routine, which includes Bible reading time and praying and an intense workout regimen, which he said he “can’t start the day without.” He spoke of his faith practices last year, “Even with my faith, I don’t force it on my kids. But they know that Dad can’t start the day without being in prayer, can’t start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass. And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they’ll say, ‘Well, if it works for dad, maybe it’ll work for us,’ and they’ll kind of gravitate toward it on their own.”
Last spring, Wahlberg spoke to CBN’s Faithwire about “Father Stu,” a faith-based film he produced, starred in, and helped fund. He said, “We are not going to turn our backs on people because of mistakes that they’ve made. We are going to tell people and encourage people that nobody is beyond redemption and that we support you, we love you, and we accept you for who you are.”
Last fall, Wahlberg and his family moved to Nevada. Wahlberg explained he moved to give his children a better life. In an interview with Fox News, he said the move to Nevada has given his children a chance to “thrive,” and just outside Las Vegas, there are plenty of areas focused on community and family.
According to Variety, Wahlberg said, “Faith is everything; it’s afforded me so many things. God didn’t come to save the saints. He came to save the sinners. We want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing on my faith, it’s allowed me to do that.”