What is wrong with this generation?
While the world has changed, God has not.
September 22
Who has done such mighty deeds, directing the affairs of the human race as each new generation marches by? It is I, the LORD, the First and the Last. I alone am he.
Isaiah 41:4
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What is wrong with this generation?
Every generation that marches by seems to think that it has some supreme control over its destiny and actions. God reminds us that is not the case. In this century we have taken to naming the different generations that come onto the scene; baby-boomers, baby-busters, generation X, etc. Each one of these generations seems to have its own unique signature on history. What today’s verse tells us is that each new generation that marches by still has the fingerprints of God all over it.
Most people find it difficult to think outside of their generation. Often when we look to the next generations we see things that offend us or confuse us. We often forget that the previous generation did the same thing as they looked at our generation. As leaders of families, ministries, or churches this can be a very challenging thing to overcome. There are many groups, books, and seminars available to teach us how to minister to the ‘other’ generations. The question is; do we really need all of them?
In our verse for the day we are told that the LORD is directing the affairs of the human race. That means that we need not get all consumed in studying the different generations but instead study how God might want to work in this new generation. Where we usually will get twisted up is forgetting that God works differently in each new generation. Too often we take the model that worked for our generation and try to apply it to the next generation, or worse, to the one after that. The way God works in the life of my children will not be the same way that He worked in the life of my grandparents. The reason is the world has changed dramatically.
While the world has changed, God has not. Our verse for the day reminds us that the LORD is the First and the Last. This speaks of His eternal existence and His immutability (He never changes). As each generation marches by God directs them in ways that are appropriate for that generation. If that were not the case, then there would be no need by God to recognize the passing of generations.
For us to be effective at leading our families, ministries, or churches we must always be looking to God to direct our affairs. There is a temptation to depend upon the ministry models that have been established to direct how we minister to people. These models are tools that were developed to minister to a certain group of people for a pre-determined period of time. Ministries and churches often suffer because tools are being used that are no longer effective. The best thing to do with a tool that is no longer effective is throw it out and find one that is effective. We must be more concerned about following the direction of our LORD, than we are about pleasing the older generation. Jesus, help us to follow directions.
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