‘Dear Student’ is a series of posts that are directly aimed at today’s teenagers. I am a youth pastor and am able to speak into our students’ lives constantly. But these posts are different. This series of posts are intentional, directed pleas to the next generation, based on some specific convictions about the unknown dangers that lie ahead. My tone is meant to be strong. My intention is to invest in you.
I said before that your generation is an amazing one. I’m proud of you. I’m excited about you. You’re not perfect, but no one is.
Your generation could change the face of this planet. You are so involved. You want to help. I’m just afraid that the only reason you want to do good is because it’s cool now.
Here’s an example: Everyone is wearing Tom’s Shoes. The beautiful thing is the “one-for-one” campaign that is associated with Toms. For every pair of shoes purchased, a child in need gets a pair.
Brilliant.
I’m gonna throw my generation under the bus for a moment. If you gave us that opportunity, we would have laughed at you. Because we don’t care about children who are dying of preventable diseases? Not really. Although, we didn’t really care about that either.
I don’t honestly think anyone from my generation would’ve worn a shoe like Toms as a “cause.” You would hear a lot of people saying “it’s just too weird.”
OK. Whatever. At least you’re honest, right? But seriously. If everyone wasn’t wearing them, would you? I’m not trying to be a jerk or anything. I just want you to wrestle with this concept. Are we doing good because we should? Or because doing good is “in”?
Have the courage to fight the flow! Want to know what “the flow” of your generation is?
Entitlement.
What does that mean? Basically, entitlement is believing that you are owed something.
A certain standard of living.
A job that pays you a certain amount.
A really nice car…as soon as you get your license.
A really nice house…as soon as you get your first job out of college.
There are all sorts of things we feel entitled to. And I’m not telling you not to chase those things. But please, please, don’t go around demanding them of everyone.
No one owes you JACK.
If your parents have a nice house, they spent time building up to it.
If they drive a nice car, they probably didn’t always have that kind of car.
If you live in America and you want to live up to the standard that you see exemplified, you’ll pull your hair out trying to keep up with it. It’s an endless pursuit of stuff that will probably leave you with that empty feeling in the pit of your stomach.
But don’t take my word for it. Take it from one of the wisest people to ever live.
“Vanity of vanities,” says the preacher, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes 1:2
Read the rest of the book of Ecclesiastes to get the whole picture. Solomon chased everything he could. Food. Sex. Religion. Power. Stuff. And in the end, he called it all vain. Nothing. Empty.
Your generation has the power to change things. But you have to learn from those who’ve gone before you first. Don’t repeat our mistakes. Choose to be different.