Let me say right from the beginning that this is not a political blog. But it is a blog about what happens politically, spiritually, and personally when generations don’t heed God’s instructions, Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your ancestors? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. —Joel 1:2-3
I don’t have all the answers, but I do know the Man who does, Jesus Christ. The Lord knew everything we would encounter in life and in our country. There’s nothing new under the sun. The culture may change, but the Bible is timeless.
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Here’s what I do know. If we’re encountering a problem in our world, God gave us the answer. We just need to seek it out and apply it. I can’t find anywhere in God’s Word where we’re told that young people don’t need guidance, direction, and mentoring before they take on important and influential roles.
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For those of us past the age of millennials, we were all their age once when we thought we knew everything and were ready to change the world. But God knew that it was important for us to temper our enthusiasm with wisdom from those who have gone before us, whether it’s in business, ministry, parenting, politics, or just living life.
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Throughout the Bible God repeatedly tells us that one generation should teach and train the next generation. Titus 2:1-8 is a familiar mentoring passage written to older and younger men and women. But so often neither generation, the young or the old, realizes the value of mentoring.
These men and women understood, Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you (Deut. 32:7).
- Moses mentored Joshua before Joshua took over the role of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land.
- Elijah mentored Elisha as his successor.
- Barnabas mentored Paul and Paul mentored Titus, Timothy, and Mark.
- Ruth followed Naomi and wanted to know her God.
- Young Mary visited with her elderly relative Elizabeth as they both had miracle pregnancies.
- Even though Saul was a bad king, David obeyed him until it was his time to be king and he learned from Saul how not to rule.
The younger people didn’t ignore or usurp their elders. They wanted to learn from them so that someday they would be ready for their God-given roles.
What Happens Without Mentoring?
In 1 Kings 12:1-24, a young son of Solomon, Rehoboam, tried to take on a leadership role he wasn’t ready to assume. His subjects implored him, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
Rehoboam told them to go away for three days and then he inquired of the elders who had served his father what he should do. They wisely replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”
Do you remember who he listened to? The wise elders or his arrogant young friends?
Yes, he took the advice of the young inexperienced entitled young men who were looking for power with Rehoboam, not what was best for the people.
The people said forget it then. We’re leaving. Those who stayed, rebelled against Rehoboam and he barely got away with his life.
We’re seeing something similar happen with the Congressional Democrats. Young, freshmen millennial women, who weren’t mentored or given wise counsel in how to be a constructive team player in Congress, came into office with their own agendas discounting the experience of those who went before them.
[Tweet “Instead of senior Congressional leaders reining in the freshmen for some mentoring, they seem intimidated”]
But instead of the senior Congressional leaders acting as mentors for the freshmen, they seem to be intimidated by them. The experienced elders are cowering to the inexperienced Millennials. They’re letting these three women set the agenda as ridiculous, rude, radical, and rudimentary as it is. They’re even letting one proclaim she’s “the boss,” and it looks like she is.
Why are Democrat presidential hopefuls endorsing the harmful philosophies of these three women instead of educating them on the pitfalls and dangers of Socialism and anti-semitism? Because the freshmen are getting more attention and press so the contenders for the party nomination feel they must join them, even if it means destroying America.
How could older legislators let the young immature legislators come in as wrecking balls and then bow down to them? Why? Because the seniors think this is what they have to do to get the millennial vote. Sell their souls and the good of the country for party power even as they lose their personal power.
[Tweet “Democrats are immobilized by their own identity politics.”]
The Democrats are immobilized by their own identity politics. Now they can’t seem to discipline or restrain the three women “of color” (which now just means not white) for fear of being called misogynist, Islamophobic, or racist. The same slurs they sling at Conservatives are boomeranging to haunt them.
Three freshmen Congresswomen are in charge while the elders are impotent. And just like the story of Rehoboam . . . they could soon see their party running for its life.
I don’t think this is how Millennials want to be wooed. They’re smarter than this. I don’t think we all raised a generation of arrogant, entitled, foolish, disrespectful, loud-mouthed young people. If I’m wrong and these three women are representative of the next generation, then our country will be in a steady dissent. If the older generation is afraid to confront them, they will indeed be a generation that watches their accomplishments disintegrate.
[Tweet “The older generation’s legacy will be that they tried to please the next generation instead of taking the time to mentor them.”]
What Can the Church Learn About the Importance of Mentoring the Next Generation?
I pray the older generation’s legacy in the culture and in the church will not be that they tried to please the next generation instead of taking the time to mentor them, love on them, and show them how to live godly lives in an ungodly culture.
Mentor them don’t ignore them.
Mentor them don’t appease them.
Do the young people in your church know about the evils of Socialism, anti-Semitism, abortion, and infanticide? Or is your church letting the culture and liberal media brainwash them?
We need to speak out against the wave of anti-Semitism, and yet, so far the only Christian leader I’ve heard denounce it is Governor Mike Huckabee in his monologue for his program on TBN.
It’s the church’s responsibility to educate the next generation, so that the evils of the past don’t become their future.
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Mentor them about the fallacies and faults of Socialism.
Show them that Socialism isn’t free, but you will lose your freedoms.
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- Discuss articles like this with them and ask, Why Are So Many Millennials Drawn to Socialism?
- If you need help explaining the evils and perils of Socialism and Communism read articles like this one On Communism and Socialism, Many Americans are Still Clueless.
- Listen and share with a younger person Mike Huckabee’s interview with the Prime Minister of Poland who discusses the horrors of being a socialist country and how hard he fought in his youth to save his country which now flourishes with Capitalism and Democracy.
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Each generation is responsible for the actions of the next generation. What did we teach or not teach them? What kind of role models were we? How much time did we spend molding them into responsible citizens? They’re our legacy. Our responsibility. If we’re alarmed at what’s going on today, we have to ask ourselves: How did we let this happen?
I’ve stressed so often in blogs like this one that Generation Gaps Were Never Part of God’s Plan! In my book Mentoring for All Seasons: Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, I give ideas of how the generations can learn from each other and work together, just as God planned for us to do.
I encourage you to read my blog for Crosswalk: The Forgotten Link Between Seniors and Discipleship/Church Growth.
If you’re a Millennial, I would love to hear your thoughts. How can we reach your generation with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and help them be ready to take over the responsibility of running our free Democratic country, without ruining it with Socialism or Communism? How can we prepare them to continue God’s earthly kingdom and His church?
In an Op-ed Newt Gingrich writes about what he sees happening between the congressional generations: “To the new Democrats, the leaders are like the grandparents. And I don’t mean this in a positive way that could foster an opportunity for maternal or paternal mentorships.” Instead, “these new Democrats are throwing a party – and the grandparents aren’t invited.”
“One generation commends your works to another, they tell of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4
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