063 |The Problematic Pursuit of Happiness: Identity Crisis Series

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SS063 Shepherd & The Shrink The Problematic Pursuit of Happiness: Identity Crisis Series

Welcome back to the Identity Crisis Series, in which we ask why we’re in an identity crisis and discuss what that looks like. In this episode, we talk about our fourth problematic identity: the moral relativist.

Today, we talk about what’s wrong with relativism. We give a brief review of the Identity Crisis Series so far, and we discuss our tendency to think of ourselves as being beyond right and wrong. We discuss the danger of following your feelings unreservedly, we offer a definition of postmodernism and explain its problems, and we note that issues of right and wrong are unavoidable. We explain why pursuing happiness is wrong, noting that it’s a way of traveling, not a destination. We discuss the damage of the self-esteem movement, note how much love God has for us and why that matters, and explain why sin is not just an action. We discuss the sin of acedia, we explain why following God is freeing, we emphasize the power of love, and we call you to do good things simply because they’re good.


“The problem with happiness is that it’s not a goal. It’s nothing that you can aim at. It’s a byproduct.”

- Dr. Martin Fletcher


“Christian faith is not about just decent living. It’s about rebellious men and rebellious women being restored and healed to their loving, heavenly Father through the death of His Son in their place.”

- Dr. Matt Hook


“You’ll know what you worship because your attention will be on it.”

- Dr. Martin Fletcher


“God doesn’t just want to be top on my list of priorities...He wants to be the center of my life, out of which radiates every other priority.”

- Dr. Matt Hook

This week on Shepherd & the Shrink:

  • The problems with postmodernism

  • Why we’re not aiming for happiness as our destination

  • Why we are not all good or all bad

  • Why sin is not an action but an attitude

  • The definition of acedia

  • Why following God is freeing

  • The power of the two greatest commandments

Resources mentioned

Notes

This week on Shepherd & the Shrink:

Resources mentioned

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Martin Fletcher