Generation ‘ME’
It has become a sort of Christian thinker’s pastime to label and analyse the younger generation. So I thought I might as well join in! I have some thoughts about what I have identified as ‘Generation ME’ (Gems for short). It generally includes most people under forty (I will definitely be in trouble for this!).
The trend that I will describe, I have noticed mainly in two areas. The first is my own specialisation, which is Missions, and the other is in church ministry – both full-time work and lay members’ ministry. The Gems are self-centred in a rather innocent way. It is something that they are totally unaware of. It has become ingrained into their cultural DNA. It is a way of thinking that seems so natural to them, that is it not even recognised, let alone challenged.
What are the symptoms?
For many years now, my work have been to research mission projects in Africa, publicise them at home and recruit hundreds of people – mostly young people - to step out and join a team to work in Africa for a summer or a year or, in a few cases, longer. It involves challenging young people to go – at least that is what I tell everyone. In reality, it is persuading, enticing and showing them that it is just the right thing for them to do this summer or this coming year. That they will benefit greatly from the experience and personal development. I even point out that it will look great on their C.V.!
This brings me to the core of the issue (have you noticed that we now have ‘issues’ or ‘challenges’ instead of problems?) For many Gems, the guiding principle and main motivation for doing anything, is how it suits their personal well being, medium-term plans and personal development. It has to be of benefit to them and fit into what they see as their personal progress in life.
Many Gems might ask me now “What’s wrong with that?’ My answer is ‘Just about everything.’ Thinking things through within this personal agenda is even thought of as ‘Seeking God’s will.’ When, in fact, it is just an extension of a mindset that has been inculcated into them from their earliest years. Me first, my agenda, my entertainment, my development and my personal satisfaction.
The concepts of service, sacrifice, meeting other’s needs, doing the needful, answering a call for help, often do not often come into their personal equation. The call from God to Paul to go to the Galatians was immediately obeyed. Paul did not stop to contemplate how it fitted into his personal life-plan. One of the symptoms is, not being prepared to commit themselves to anything until the last possible moment – no matter how it inconveniences anyone else. This is just in case a better offer or opportunity comes up at the last minute. I gave up trying to organise reunion conferences for young mission workers because the lovely Gems, that I dearly love, simply wouldn’t commit to coming. When asked repeatedly if they were coming, the answer from 90% of them was always ‘Maybe’ or ‘Probably.’ The weekend away has become so prevalent, that many churches can only expect 50% of their members to attend on any given Sunday. Gems have sleep-walked, with an innocent smile on their faces, into a culture that demands constant personal stimulation and entertainment.
My own generation had the opposite problem when I was in my twenties. We were too eager to rush off and meet any needs we saw, without praying and seeking God’s will. Our elders developed the admonition ‘The need is not the call.’ At least we were willing to serve and to commit ourselves.
What are the causes?
We have largely lost the sense of majesty for God. God now serves us, not us Him! A.W. Tozer put it like this:
‘Our God has now become our servant, to wait on our will. “The Lord is my Shepherd” we
say, instead of “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and the difference is as wide as the world.
The sense of awe and privilege in serving the great God of all the universe has largely gone. So many people now speak about Jesus Christ as if He were someone they met down at the pub – and Gems generally feel right at home in a pub.
I think the main fault lies with my generation and how we have raised the present one. Because we have had more money and leisure time, we have deluged our kids with toys, activities, interests, holidays, parties, TV, video games, expensive ‘Strawberry’ phones (my own name for them) etc. We gave in to worldliness and have made this the norm of our kids. The result is that our kids have been surrounded from their earliest thoughts, with an over-wide choice of things that are there for their constant personal entertainment. They become, not just the centre of their parents’ world, but the centre of their own. They see this as normal life and have become incapable of another mindset. On Christmas day they tear open a room full of presents in a frenzy of ‘What-have-I- got’ without any interest, or often, knowledge of who has kindly bought them the presents.
What is the solution?
I think the Gems are mostly too far gone to change. Perhaps if they can begin to see the mistakes their parents made in the way they have been raised, they might raise the next generation more wisely and with more Godly values. We were never too conscious of worldliness as such, because we rarely had the means to indulge it. Increasing wealth and leisure opportunities were a new phenomenon. Hence it crept furtively into our lives. We even rejoiced in the opportunity to totally spoil our kids as something all good Christian parents should do.
If the Gems do not see this as an ‘issue’ it will only be perpetuated in their own kids. The need is for Biblical teaching on this and related topics. The Gems need to see that they have been duped by innocent loving parents into a weak, everything-for-me, cost-me-nothing, ‘no discomfort thanks,’ pale shadow of Christianity that lacks any sense of sacrifice or service to God or man. Gone is the radical, militant, no-compromise aspirations of our evangelical forefathers. We are no longer God’s army, we have become His holiday camp! It is no longer ‘Onward Christian soldiers’ but ‘Onward Christian marshmallows,’ preferably toasted please, on some Mediterranean holiday beach.
John Miles 2009
It has become a sort of Christian thinker’s pastime to label and analyse the younger generation. So I thought I might as well join in! I have some thoughts about what I have identified as ‘Generation ME’ (Gems for short). It generally includes most people under forty (I will definitely be in trouble for this!).
The trend that I will describe, I have noticed mainly in two areas. The first is my own specialisation, which is Missions, and the other is in church ministry – both full-time work and lay members’ ministry. The Gems are self-centred in a rather innocent way. It is something that they are totally unaware of. It has become ingrained into their cultural DNA. It is a way of thinking that seems so natural to them, that is it not even recognised, let alone challenged.
What are the symptoms?
For many years now, my work have been to research mission projects in Africa, publicise them at home and recruit hundreds of people – mostly young people - to step out and join a team to work in Africa for a summer or a year or, in a few cases, longer. It involves challenging young people to go – at least that is what I tell everyone. In reality, it is persuading, enticing and showing them that it is just the right thing for them to do this summer or this coming year. That they will benefit greatly from the experience and personal development. I even point out that it will look great on their C.V.!
This brings me to the core of the issue (have you noticed that we now have ‘issues’ or ‘challenges’ instead of problems?) For many Gems, the guiding principle and main motivation for doing anything, is how it suits their personal well being, medium-term plans and personal development. It has to be of benefit to them and fit into what they see as their personal progress in life.
Many Gems might ask me now “What’s wrong with that?’ My answer is ‘Just about everything.’ Thinking things through within this personal agenda is even thought of as ‘Seeking God’s will.’ When, in fact, it is just an extension of a mindset that has been inculcated into them from their earliest years. Me first, my agenda, my entertainment, my development and my personal satisfaction.
The concepts of service, sacrifice, meeting other’s needs, doing the needful, answering a call for help, often do not often come into their personal equation. The call from God to Paul to go to the Galatians was immediately obeyed. Paul did not stop to contemplate how it fitted into his personal life-plan. One of the symptoms is, not being prepared to commit themselves to anything until the last possible moment – no matter how it inconveniences anyone else. This is just in case a better offer or opportunity comes up at the last minute. I gave up trying to organise reunion conferences for young mission workers because the lovely Gems, that I dearly love, simply wouldn’t commit to coming. When asked repeatedly if they were coming, the answer from 90% of them was always ‘Maybe’ or ‘Probably.’ The weekend away has become so prevalent, that many churches can only expect 50% of their members to attend on any given Sunday. Gems have sleep-walked, with an innocent smile on their faces, into a culture that demands constant personal stimulation and entertainment.
My own generation had the opposite problem when I was in my twenties. We were too eager to rush off and meet any needs we saw, without praying and seeking God’s will. Our elders developed the admonition ‘The need is not the call.’ At least we were willing to serve and to commit ourselves.
What are the causes?
We have largely lost the sense of majesty for God. God now serves us, not us Him! A.W. Tozer put it like this:
‘Our God has now become our servant, to wait on our will. “The Lord is my Shepherd” we
say, instead of “The Lord is my Shepherd,” and the difference is as wide as the world.
The sense of awe and privilege in serving the great God of all the universe has largely gone. So many people now speak about Jesus Christ as if He were someone they met down at the pub – and Gems generally feel right at home in a pub.
I think the main fault lies with my generation and how we have raised the present one. Because we have had more money and leisure time, we have deluged our kids with toys, activities, interests, holidays, parties, TV, video games, expensive ‘Strawberry’ phones (my own name for them) etc. We gave in to worldliness and have made this the norm of our kids. The result is that our kids have been surrounded from their earliest thoughts, with an over-wide choice of things that are there for their constant personal entertainment. They become, not just the centre of their parents’ world, but the centre of their own. They see this as normal life and have become incapable of another mindset. On Christmas day they tear open a room full of presents in a frenzy of ‘What-have-I- got’ without any interest, or often, knowledge of who has kindly bought them the presents.
What is the solution?
I think the Gems are mostly too far gone to change. Perhaps if they can begin to see the mistakes their parents made in the way they have been raised, they might raise the next generation more wisely and with more Godly values. We were never too conscious of worldliness as such, because we rarely had the means to indulge it. Increasing wealth and leisure opportunities were a new phenomenon. Hence it crept furtively into our lives. We even rejoiced in the opportunity to totally spoil our kids as something all good Christian parents should do.
If the Gems do not see this as an ‘issue’ it will only be perpetuated in their own kids. The need is for Biblical teaching on this and related topics. The Gems need to see that they have been duped by innocent loving parents into a weak, everything-for-me, cost-me-nothing, ‘no discomfort thanks,’ pale shadow of Christianity that lacks any sense of sacrifice or service to God or man. Gone is the radical, militant, no-compromise aspirations of our evangelical forefathers. We are no longer God’s army, we have become His holiday camp! It is no longer ‘Onward Christian soldiers’ but ‘Onward Christian marshmallows,’ preferably toasted please, on some Mediterranean holiday beach.
John Miles 2009
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