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This episode explores the paradox of modern life: anxiety and depression are soaring despite an age of unprecedented affluence and peace. Guest Sean St. Jean, a university professor and therapist trainer, breaks down the "world's broken software" and how Christian disciples can navigate the cultural challenge of mental health.
The Paradox of Affluence and Anxiety
Sean St. Jean highlights that North Americans, who are among the world's most affluent (often within the top 1% of global wealth), are suffering from high rates of anxiety, depression, and loneliness [03:33], [04:00]. This phenomenon, sometimes called "affluenza," stems from several factors:
Information Overload and Responsibility: Modern life has given individuals exceptional access to information, leading to the expectation that we must be experts in every domain (legal, medical, technical) [06:14], [06:39]. When things go wrong, the fault often falls back onto the individual, creating immense anxiety.
The Profit Motive of Technology: Free platforms like social media operate on a profit motive where the user is the "product," constantly marketed to and fed values that speak to the flesh (John 2:16: "the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life") [09:47], [10:18].
The Lie of a "Fulfilled Existence": The world's "software" teaches that individuals should never have to feel overwhelmed, yet overwhelm is God's currency for growing us [11:52]. Hardship can lead to greater reliance on God, as the Apostle Paul described when he felt "pressure far beyond our ability to endure" (2 Corinthians 1:8-9) [13:01], [14:40].
Satan's Strategy: Borrowing Worldly Maps
The discussion emphasizes that humans are "herd animals" who naturally adopt values and beliefs (or "maps") from their social groups, including parents and fellow church members [16:39], [17:02]. Satan exploits this social nature by propagating a "pattern of lies" that groups adopt as truth (Romans 12:2) [18:22]:
The Subversive Lie: Like in the temptation of Jesus ("If you are the Son of Man") and the deception of Eve, Satan's lies are subtle and subversive, often implying that God is withholding something or that you are being "oppressed by God" [22:18], [23:38].
Heart Damage: The ultimate goal of these lies is "heart damage"—to get people to turn away from God. Satan plays the "long game," planting small seeds of ideas that grow and fester over decades [24:23], [24:54].
The Crisis of Personal Experience
The most popular lie today is the belief that everyone's experience is valid [25:24]. While a good counselor will empathically validate a person's feelings—which are never wrong—this concept has been distorted into a "counselorification of life" [26:10], [27:53].
This leads to the belief that my personal experience and identity trump all else, shutting down genuine dialogue [28:14], [28:38].
The pressure to project a "fully formed" image on platforms like social media turns everyone into a "movie star with all of the moral rot that comes along with it," making it incredibly difficult to be vulnerable and seek help during times of weakness [30:03], [31:58].
Biblical Solution:
Disciples must escape the herd by building the capacity to discern and by being careful about their "diet" of media consumption [19:37], [20:22]. Like the prophets and Jesus, separating from the crowds and going to "desolate places" to be alone with God is essential for mental health and spiritual strength [19:18].