This post is written by Nathan Moore. Nathan serves as the Program Director at Camp Joy and is constantly in contact with people of all ages. He has noticed some concerning trends between believers from different generations. In response to these observations, Nathan has written a brief post on the topic from a Biblical perspective. Open your heart, receive these thoughts, and search out for yourselves “if these things be true.”
Help! We are Divided!
by Nathan Moore
“There is a great disconnect in society today! It is found in the different generations living within the United States. Every generation looks at life in a different way, but these differences are becoming more apparent today. These differences can also cause multiple problems for how each generation interacts with one another. Furthermore, it becomes more of a problem in our churches and para-church organizations each year.
Each generation believes that they are the best, and that those behind them or in front of them are ‘missing it.’ As a millennial born in the very early 1990’s and a Christian Camp worker, I often see the harm that this mindset is causing my generation, those behind me, and those in front of me. I can also see many of the ill effects that it brings to many Christians across the nation!
As Christians, each generation needs to do a better job at reaching out to those around them, so that they can do their part in reaching others for Christ and discipling those who respond.
Here are some areas I believe we can grow in.
1. We are failing to communicate.
It is no secret that failing to communicate is a relationship killer! Many marriages have unfortunately ended because spouses can’t communicate with one another. Friends grow further apart, siblings lose track of each other, and a host of other regrettable issues arise because of a lack of communication. This is no different in the generation gaps that are plaguing us today.
Each generation complains that the others do not listen to them. Older generations accuse the younger of not listening or talking to them and heading their advice. Oftentimes, this is seen in statements such as, “This is how I would do it!”, or “Back in my day”. They claim that younger people don’t care about them anymore, and if they would only listen, then the younger could learn from the older’s experience and avoid their mistakes. There would be a lot of benefit to this. The younger should listen to the wisdom that the older has. However, it is not just the job of the younger to listen.
Younger generations don’t feel heard or valued by the older generations and accuse the older of not taking the time to teach them what to do. If the older generations just complain and don’t take the time to teach and offer advice that is beneficial, then the younger people won’t learn! Both the older and the younger need to communicate and listen to each other. Communication needs to improve for everyone.
The book of Proverbs is replete with instructions on younger people listening to their parents, as well as instructions for parents on how to lead their children. Listen to and communicate with each other because communication is a two-way street!
2. We are failing to lead.
There is a lack of great leaders today. Even in our Christian circles, we are suffering from this shortage. I remember a time when there were Godly, Christian men who I looked up to as role models. These men lead with grace, humility, and dignity and I sought to emulate my life after them. They very much embodied, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Yet, those people are becoming harder and harder to find today! Whether they are being called home to heaven, or they have departed from their former love, we have a lack of Godly leaders!
The younger generation wants people to lead by example. However, there are very few that can fill that role effectively! This lack means that there are more younger people being forced into a leadership role that they are not ready for. The result of their leadership is that many of the older generations are troubled with how young leaders are behaving and leading. Thus, our generation gap grows even larger! If we, as members of older generations can learn to lead the way Christ led, then we can close that generational gap and see God do great works through both the younger AND the older!
Search the Scriptures and learn how to lead! Jesus is a great model of true leadership! Paul says, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ!” We all need to develop our leadership in the way that we are supposed to as followers of Christ.
3. We are failing to love.
Love is a universal need of mankind. Every person wants to feel loved by someone. This need for love is the beauty of the God that we serve. He loves us in spite of who we are, what we have done, or the mistakes we have made. This kind of love needs to be emulated by Christians.
Often, we see the mistakes that people who are older or younger than us make and we write them off as a failure or deride them with remarks about how ‘we would not do it that way.’ Now, I am not saying that we should not mark out and seek to correct error. True love is being willing to point out mistakes while also being willing to help correct error and convert it to the truth in the spirit of love. Many Christians though, do not often show this love.
I often see older people chide and deride younger people while showing very little love for them because they cannot relate to them. So, many older people withdraw into themselves and seek to live in the ‘glory days.’ They do not seek to truly love the younger. However, the young people are often just as guilty of not truly loving because they do not feel loved by the older generation. Therefore, they decide to react by not showing Christ’s love themselves.
As believers, we are called to stay away from this kind of self-indulgent love. It is a “I will love you, if you love me” attitude. Instead, let us love as Jesus Christ does. He was willing to go to the cross for those people who do not love Him at all – us! That is what real love looks like! True love is serving and reaching out to others without any thought of return!
Closing thoughts.
In conclusion, I know that these three points are by no means an exhaustive list, and that they might be hard for some people to read. However, Satan is constantly seeking to destroy believers, and it is much easier for him to do so from within than from without! I believe that each of the failures I mention above are weapons in the hands of the enemy. We will do well to fight against the division that so easily draws us in. Please communicate, lead, and love! With these three improvements, I believe that the generational gap will largely be overcome and we will all end up more united and effective as believers!”
We are a small force with a daunting task from our Lord today. We cannot afford to be divided from within!
This article was such a blessing and rebuke to my own heart. May I grow in these areas! Thank you for posting!