Scripture: Psalm 18:29 – “By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.” (NRSV)
There is a lot of talk these days about generations. This has gone from funny jokes or memes to frankly divisive talk which blames one generation or another for all our society’s problems. These stereotypes can be harmful but can also be useful to understand larger trends. Some of the negative stereotypes are that Baby Boomers are selfish, mortgaging the future for their own benefit. Generation X is cynical and grumpy. Millennials are entitled and lazy. But you could also say that Boomers are hard-working, Gen-Xers are adaptable, and Millennials and conscientious and work well in groups.
With this in mind, I am looking forward to what Generation Z, those in their teens and twenties, have to offer. I see them combining the best of the three previous generations. They have the can-do spirit of Boomers, the critical eye of Gen-Xers, and the desire to make the world a better place. They want to roll-up their sleeves and get things done, because if they do not, who will? The question is how they will handle things when life does not turn out as planned.
The truth is that young people as a group are generally optimistic. They have a sense of the way the world should be and then endeavor to make that world a reality. But along the way, life intercedes. People choose selfishness over idealism, and defeat after defeat causes them to retreat into themselves and cynically begin to only look out for “number one.” In a secular society, this cynicism is both destructive and inevitable.
But that is not how things can be with God. Faith in God gives us hope that a brighter future is possible, even when we face setbacks and disappointments. The Psalms are the emotional pulse of the Bible, and many psalms are optimistic about the future. Psalm 18 is one such psalm. It is a relatively lengthy psalm describing the power of God and the good things God does for those who are faithful. The psalmist says to God, “With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless; with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.” They believe that God will reward the good and punish the evil.
Many might see this attitude as naïve, for it is clear that the world is not a fair place. But the psalmist is not blind to the problems of the world. Instead, they place their faith in God, believing that despite the cruelties of life, they can do anything if they believe that God is on their side. “By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.”
This is an attitude that people from any generation should embrace. The young can see that their success does not depend upon their own merits, and the old can find hope despite the dreams that did not come true. Depend on God, and you can overcome any obstacle.
Prayer: God, give me the hope to believe in a better tomorrow though my faith in you. Amen.
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