The Power of Beliefs
Psychologists have long maintained that a sense of purpose and the ability to process life’s disappointments are critical to mental wellness. Study after study correlates strong religious belief with increased mental health. Yet according to recent metrics, this is exactly what the rising generation lacks.
Study after study correlates strong religious belief with increased mental health
As long-time researcher George Barna reports, only 1% of Gen Z and 2% of Millenials have a biblical worldview. Around eight in ten have jettisoned the idea that absolute moral truth exists. Seven out of ten lack a sense of purpose in life, while the majority (58%) have abandoned belief in an “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect, and just Creator of the universe.” While most of Gen Z report praying in the last week, they have filled the gap with a variety of other beliefs. The majority of adults under forty, for example, believe that they may be reincarnated, while 40% agree that “a very important force or guide for your life is Mother Earth or the Universe.”
As Barna writes: “This common set of components results in a lifestyle that is inconsistent, chaotic, frustrating, and lacking hope. Anxiety, depression, and fear are virtually inescapable in such a life.” This, he clarifies, is not to say that embracing a Biblical worldview would mean instant healing, but that without a better framework of belief, “all the conventional treatments in the world will be fruitless.”
Despite many breakthroughs, modern mental health approaches are lacking a critical piece of the puzzle: a true story of reality and our place in it.
Therapy without a Framework
In her book Bad Therapy, journalist Abigail Shrier warns of damaging approaches to psychology. While some counseling can be effective, she argues that our current haphazard approach can easily lead to iatrogenic harm: damage caused by those tasked with healing. One example is the belief that all mental discomfort can be diagnosed, analyzed, and fixed by a specialist: a kind of utopian belief in the power of modern therapy.
Another is rumination, a state in which one fixates on their problems above everything else. Psychologists have long warned against this trap. Yet Shrier’s book clearly demonstrates the capacity of modern counseling to fall victim to it anyway. With a moral compass that only points at themselves, it’s no wonder so many of the rising generation seem trapped in their own minds.
As one therapist told The Free Press: “My concern is that we’re not helping people heal and transcend. We’re just helping people live in their victim mentality.”
Jesus & Therapy
The challenge and opportunity for Christians is to recover a holistic perspective of mental health. We are not the center of our own story, but creatures created by a loving God to need him.
One clear mistake is to pit Jesus against mental health treatment itself. Research shows that, despite certain pitfalls, most of those who seek treatment do see some improvement. Because we are physical not just spiritual beings, medical treatments for depression, anxiety, OCD, or other mental illnesses are sometimes necessary.
We are not the center of our own story, but creatures created by a loving God to need him
The problem with the modern world is not that it values treatment but that it ignores everything else. Christians can escape that reductionist trap and point the world to the only source of ultimate purpose.
The first step is to remember that God is not callous towards us when we struggle. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) says to “cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” The God who made our emotions is not surprised, disgusted, or closed off toward them. Parents can model this by listening closely to their kids—the very element that researchers tell us makes cognitive behavioral therapy work in the first place.
Second, we must remember that feelings don’t dictate reality, God does. The peril of a world ruled by the self is that it places how we feel on the throne. If we simply follow our feelings, the message goes, we’ll live in a state of constant euphoria. This echoes the Serpent’s lie in the garden: that acting on our every desire will make us like God. Nothing could be further from the truth. In everything from playing piano to making friends, emotional maturity means recognizing that feelings are powerful servants and terrible masters.
Feelings don’t dictate reality, God does
As C.S. Lewis wrote, “Faith is the art of holding on to things in spite of your changing moods.”1 Christians must train up faithful people who recognize that no mental health struggle—from dysphoria to anxiety to depression—need define us. As so many have found, persevering through low points is often the very thing that leads to change.
Finally, we must make room for a theology of the fall. Secularism has presented its own faulty answer to the question What is wrong with the world? It teaches that people are intrinsically good but that it is society, capitalism, or our upbringing that ruins us. However, this mindset teaches people to expect perfection and to blame everyone but themselves when they don’t achieve it. Frustrated and anxious, they increasingly seek a diagnosis to make sense of their suffering.
Christianity starts with the opposite premise: humans are intrinsically fallen. In a broken world, friends betray us, jobs are stressful, and chemical imbalances throw off our internal equilibrium. To the extent that people expect utopia here on Earth, we will be disappointed. Ironically, the doctrine of the fall gives us comfort that things here, before Jesus’ return, will never reach their intended state of shalom.
More than merely being reminded of this truth, the rising generation needs mentors who live it out. Even as we listen to their worries, the most effective thing parents, pastors, and educators can do for young people is to practice living a biblical worldview themselves. We, of course, recognize that in some cases, counseling and other mental health treatments are both good and necessary. In those situations, resources like Focus on the Family’s network of Christian counselors can be of immense help.
Ultimately, Jesus’ words ring out more true than ever: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). The comfort is that he both understands the problem and points us to the answer.
By Kasey Leander