“The Kids Will Be Okay”

The news of the day is not encouraging…. wars, declines in our culture and society, an inability to agree on even the most basic of truths, and the trends seem to be heading the wrong way. With that in mind, it’s not uncommon for the elderly to express concern about the life they’re leaving to their children and grandchildren.  

I just saw an article entitled, “Do you ever wonder what life in America will look like in 20 years ….. “how far will the culture rebel against core Christian beliefs and values that made America a great and generous nation, will our children be able to worship Christ openly, will the schools continue their decline,  what about the ubiquitous LGBTQ+ movement, corporate America, the liberal media, the entertainment industry, and nearly every other secular entity – including the courts….” (ref. American Family Association, Nov. 7, 2023) 

Yikes, this BLOG is more depressing than the nightly news. But let’s hold on for just a minute. The world has always been a pretty tough place to live since Adam and Eve walked the earth. Mainly it’s been a time of war with peace occasionally breaking out. When would you have preferred to live? When were the good ole days? “Boy, I wish I could have lived during the time of Jesus, or during the Middle Ages, or in Europe with its great cultures and history of saints… maybe during the early and mid 1900’s when my parents lived… things were so romantic then….” 

Hmmmmm, I think we need to dust off the history books. Those times had the same themes as today….”wars and rumors of war, plagues, poverty, man’s inhumanity to man….. yet in the midst of the chaos, men and women of God were able to do extraordinary things. 

If you look at today’s headlines without Christ, it is depressing. But with the Lord, it’s a different story. Everyone who lives on this earth is going to face crises. In my parent’s life, they experienced the 1918 Spanish Flu with some 50+ million deaths including 675,000 in the U.S., the Great Depression, WWI and WWII and Korea, the BOMB, etc.  My generation experienced, Korea, Vietnam, Middle East wars, the Covid Pandemic, crises in the Church, etc.  Pick a time and if you live long enough, you are going to face many trials. 

The legacy we leave our children won’t be a perfect world; we will try to “leave the world better than we found it”, but  there will be plenty of trials coming ….  the world, the flesh, and the devil are still poisoning the waters. What we can leave them is trust in the Lord and his ways and the hope of eternal life. In Christ, we can have peace in the midst of trials. In Christ our children and grandchildren will be okay. The heritage we leave will not be a sin-free world, but it can be our examples of men and women who kept the faith, who didn’t quit serving the Lord, who fought the good fight of faith with their eyes on heaven…. who experienced a wonderful life with great joy. 

Our children and grandchildren are going to be okay. The Lord will be with them and that’s all that matters. If they place their trust in him, all will be well. Jesus will not abandon them. The Holy Spirit will sanctify and enable them to stand. They can have joy and peace in the midst of their trials. They can become saints in the 21^st century. Living for Christ does not depend on finding the perfect place on earth, it just depends on giving your heart to the Lord. 

So, let’s calm down. Let’s trust in the Lord for our life and remember: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:4-7)  And all will be well with our soul.