The Generations Over The last 40 plus Years

Generation X, Millinials, Generation Z (Psalm 141, James 3:1-12) "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not let my hearta be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies. Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke med—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers. (Psam 141:5-7) Three of our children fit into this catigory, in the generation spectrum. Xennials they grew up without all of the extensive electrical gadgets, but during thier groing uo years it was a trasition into the electronic age. They are micro-generation born between 1977 and 1983. They experienced an a childhood without to many gagets, but then as they got older, were given the education and were emersed into the electrical age. So, they are the generation that remember life before the internet, yet because of the imersion into it, they seemed to adapt easily to the new techknolegy as they were moving into thier adult years. Thus we have two of our children that work in the computer world. Even though they played out side without cell phones, and they watched TV on small TV's thst hsd rabbit ears But then the change started and they learned computers and the internet came when they were in thier teens, they started using dial-up modems when there was yet no high speed internet. We rented VHS tapes at video stores. We recorded and listened to music of cassette tapes and CDs. But because of this upbringing hey share a realistic, balanced view of our present day life. This was a good time for them to be born world wise, because the yare able to mix Gen X cynicism with Millennial optimism. Even though they along with their fa,\milies faced some major economic crashes as they started working in the work force. I believe this made them more cautious with money and they learned from thier ecinomical mistskes.Because of this all of our children seem to be doing pretty well economically. Our youngest was born into the Millennial generation—people born between 1981 and 1996— right in the middle of the shift, as the analog world was pushing hard to become a new fully digital world. Most of them become very tech-savvy very quickly. Our youngest, even though not going to colledge, was able to learn machanices on the internet, and was able to rebuild a motor of one of thier vehicals that blew a motor. Seeing great value and loving the experience of doing that over just going and spending on another auto. Then we have Generation Z, born between 1997 - 2012 They seems to be able to detect a false compliment from a mile away. While the intention might be kindness, the members of that generation value something deeper, they are seeking genuine respect and honesty, rather than a false hipicritical attitud. They are not looking to be flattered, they want to be believed in. When someone speaks the trut hto them, they know its the truth and they feel respected, and taken seriously, they like to be challenged to grow, in what ever they are doing. I believe that is a God given desire that most of us have built into us when we were created. We all want to be incouraged and we all desire to be told the truth, but over the years, we have been lied to so often, that we have beed connrd in to thinking and believing the lies to be true, even though they are not. And we need more wisdom today, to disiffer between a lie and the truth. Psalm 141:5 talks of this wisdom, of desiring to know the truth rather than believing and accepting lies. David wrote this,“Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me.” David here inhis prayer to God, asks that his friend might dare to loving wound him with truthful words that hurt (v. 5) then to sugar coat it with words that butter up rather than confront.. (Proverbs 27:6). David was adiment that real love wouldn't dodge difficult conversations. But rather that true love would tell the truth, without the intention to shame him, but rather to help him be drawn closer to God rather than being pushed farther away to what is evil” (Psalm 141:4). David reminds us that wise, truthful feedback does not or should not tear others down but building them up and point them towards God. I believe our world today is hurt to easy and many do not want to believe or hear the truth.. At least not as much as the Generation Z does. We need to not fear receiving correction from a loving and carring friend that is willing to tell us the truth, even if it means loosing a friend. That true love, that can be taken wrong by the one they are speaking to, thus the loss of a friend. But if it comes from the right sources, and its recieved with a good and possitive attitude, all will be good. So then I say this, and I am speaking to myself, because I do not like to ruffle feathers, we need to not shy away from offering the truth of the matter, even if it is going to hurt. Our world has sugarcoated things to long and what God calls sin, the world calls it good, and what is good and times is now believed to be wrong, in the worlds eyes. Friends, this day and age, we need more and more people to stand up, with the truth, and call sin, sin btinging correction back into our churches where people except the correction and come back to God rather than running the other way. We need to stop being hurt so easily, we need to get a back bone, ans straighten up rather that bending to the crowd. We need friends who will speak the truth in love. The words may sting a bit at the start, but as we let those words sink in, they should be the words that will build us, turn us towards God nand we will experience healing. AS the words of correction are excepted in the right attitude they will help us become the person God created us to be in the first place. I wish at time that I knew why it is so hard to speak the truth in love. But maybe it is because the truth spoken in love hads been recieved badly for so many years we shy away from offering the hard words of correction even to other believers. I have asked myself this question over the years and now I want to ask you. How do you respond to loving correction when a loving friend points out some sin, that you are doing or conyinuing doing, when you should know better? Pray with me - Dear Heavenly Father, please help me, have wisdom in offering correction and also help me to recieve correction with the right attitude.. That I would accept wise feedback and correction as gifts of Your grace, in drawing me back into your arms. Thank you, Father, it is in your name I pray AMEN.