What in the world is going on? I have a theory. We are seeing the result of a generation of people raised to believe they should never have to experience disappointment. (The “participation trophy” phenomenon.) Now that their candidate for president has lost they are protesting, skipping classes and threatening to leave the country. What’s crazy is that every four years since the start of this country a group of American’s has watched the “other guy” take office when their candidate lost. And I may be wrong, but I don’t recall this type of reaction happening in the past. Especially on this level.
We have to do a better job of teaching our children the truth. We are not doing our children any favors allowing them to believe that “everyone’s a winner”. Raising them to believe that they are the center of their universe. Telling them that they should always feel good about themselves. That they can go ahead and think what they want. Feel what they want. Do what they want. As long as it “feels good”. Telling them that truth is relative. That there is no right or wrong. None of that is Biblical!
For starters, how about the fact that himself Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) And not just the “my soccer team lost” kind of trouble, but the “I might die for my faith” kind of trouble. Things are not always going to feel good. We don’t do our kids any favors when we spend their whole lives sheltering them from pain and disappointment rather than pointing them to Jesus for peace.
And the whole “self-confidence” revolution is also not Biblical. Our “self” on its own, apart from the Holy Spirit, is a sinful mess. The only one we should be teaching our kids to have confidence in is Jesus. Any good thing in us is not on account of our wonderfulness. It is only because of the grace of God who bestows good on us and in us for his good purpose. The Bible says: “Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters, whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father…” (James 1:16-17) We should not be teaching our children to love themselves. We should be teaching our children to love God! We should be teaching them to be thankful for any talents and gifts they may have rather than being prideful as if they accomplished them all on their own. God already loves us far more than we can love ourselves.
Then there’s the whole entitlement thing. How in the world did a whole generation of people grow up believing that they are owed something just because of who they are. The Bible does not say that. The Bible says you should work for what you need and give to those who can’t work for themselves. The Bible doesn’t teach us to run around asking for hand-outs. The Bible doesn’t tell us that we should expect to be taken care of. Even when the apostles were spreading the gospel they were an example to us. “We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden on anyone.” (2 Thessalonians 3:7-8)
We have got to do better for our children and grandchildren. We have got to give future generations the capacity to live a godly life and to boldly stand for Biblical values. To know the truth. The one truth! That God is in control. That the Bible is his standard. And most importantly that he sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer and die for us so that through him alone we may be saved. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Jesus is coming back soon! America today looks an awful lot what the Bible said we’d see as his return drew near..
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. – 2 Timothy 3:1-7