( ENSPIRE Community Spotlight ) Jonathan McReynolds Shares Personal Insights From His Journey to Success
ENSPIRE Contributor: Katherine Moy
Jonathan McReynolds is not just your regular Gospel singer; he is one of wisdom and soulful sound, for his inspiring lyrics have touched the hearts of many. Having won #1 hits on Billboard’s Gospel AirPlay chart, 2 Grammys, 15 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, and millions of streams worldwide—Jonathan has built his way to the top. However, his journey to success had bumps on the road, surprising many fans. For 6 years, he had many depressive episodes in which he felt feelings of sin, neglect, and rejection amidst his successful moments. Climbing to his current position wasn’t easy. It was overwhelming and took a toll on his well-being. Thus, Jonathan amplifies his voice on the importance of mental health by sharing his defining moment and his new book “Before You Climb Any Higher: Valley Wisdom for Mountain Dreams” on Tamron Hall.
A powerful quote mentioned in his book was, “…my head got heavy, my heart raced, and my breath was hard to come by. My thoughts vacillated from past failures to future drains. I realized I had been climbing for years and was choking alone at a high altitude. I felt like this mountain that I’d been living on was starting to kill me.” He elaborates on how people always tend to talk about how mountains are the great moments while valleys are the terrible moments. He disagrees because people don’t notice that mountains are cold and lifeless while valleys are lush and full of life. His most challenging moments were on the mountain, and a meltdown over beef stew was his defining moment. Despite being something so small, it made him spiral to realize that it wasn’t just that small thing making him feel that way. There were a lot of things that he was carrying on his plate that he overlooked until he was at his mental limit.
In a world where people undertake various obligations, it could take a lousy bowl of beef stew to realize the issue is more than that. We don’t notice until we’re at our capacity because it’s hard to be vulnerable in front of people. Jonathan’s insights from his book show that climbs affect people, but the mentality they take on in the passage of healing is what truly matters. He ends his special interview beautifully with a performance of “God is Good” from his album “Make More Room.” For more information on Jonathan and supporting his journey, visit https://www.jonathanmcreynolds.com/ or follow him on Instagram.
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