Jenny's Daily Journey (JDJ): Hope for the Next Generation

Source: quotefancy.com

When we talk about generation, it's a collective term that describes a group of people all living at the same time. It also refers to the body of living beings constituting a single step in the line of descent from an ancestor.  Moreover, its the average period, generally considered to be about thirty years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and begin to have children of their own (wikipedia.com). In order to distinguish one generation one from another, Neil Howe and William Strauss define generational cohorts in the U.S. from 1900 on as follows.

2000–: New Silent Generation or Generation Z

1980 to 2000: Millennials or Generation Y

1965 to 1979: Thirteeners or Generation X

1946 to 1964: Baby Boomers

1925 to 1945: the Silent Generation

1900 to 1924: the G.I. Generation

Different generations have different circumstances, experiences, attitudes, and ways of life. This is brought by different events during their time from the 1st and 2nd world wars until the fast-changing technology today that brought a different kind of living standard. Moreover, from generation to generation, we only have one thing in common, all of us are united in our belief to God and our savior Lord Jesus Christ. But as the generations become entangled with studying and working hard, earning money, and have a decent living, more and more of them are not drawn to spend time in church. As a believer of Christ, we have a mission to spread the gospel to the next generation. This leads us to think of what has God commanded us to do to save the next generation? Today, we will learn from Psalm 78, that we need to train our children not only that they may know God's truth, but that they may, in turn, pass it on to their children yet unborn. 

With the task of spreading the gospel, we need to invite the next generation to hear God's words. In Psalm 78:1-4 it says:

"Give ear, O my people, to my teaching, Incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark saying from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the old, and his might, and the wonders that he has done."

The next generation has an important role in our society. We need to have the heart to serve them and guide them about God's truth to the generations to come. When we become parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children about God and his teachings from the bible. We should not hide the message of God and if we fail to do this we are guilty of concealing the Good News to them. If we want our children, to learn the word of God and live in righteous ways, we must be dedicated to teaching them to know the Lord and His words. Find time every day, to share the word with them, and tell them how to apply the lessons in everyday life. In this way, they will be guided in making the right decisions and be reminded of what is right and wrong. 

Furthermore, hearing the word of God will help the next generation put their confidence in Christ. When we have the confidence in the Lord, it is essentially connected to knowledge, remembrance, and belief of what God has done throughout our history. If we want our children, to follow what we say, we should be the first ones to make a move and be role models to them. Be an inspiration to your children, so that they will look up to you and they will also do that with their own families. Godly generation are the product of parents, leaders, and friends who set their hearts on the right track to knowing God and walk with God and speak the word of God upon them.

With this mission, we have great hope for the next generation. Now, what can you do in what God is doing in the next generation? What does God want you to do for them now? Well, we have the power to act and be an agent of change. All of us can be ministers of the gospel, we are equipped because we have the Bible to guide us in spreading the gospel to the next generation. You don't have to become a parent to do this, you can start in your community, your neighbors, friends, and siblings, in spreading the good news to them.  Everything is possible if we let our desires overpower our fear to make a move. We should let go of the fear of rejection because it does not matter,  when they will accept it or not, they have already heard the good news and it is up to them to absorb it or not, as long as you already shared the gospel to them. We should be patient and never give up on the next generation. They are our only hope for building an egalitarian society where people are living in harmony and working in synergy, to glorify and honor God.