As we get older most of us tend to look back at the past and try to recapture some of the excitement we felt as children. We talk about the “good old days” when we were free from stress, had great TV shows to watch and played outside till Mom called us in. We mention how we worked for what we had and found pleasure in our own handiwork. We were proud, yet humble, for we knew from where our blessings came. God and His teachings were foremost and He was honored by most as the Supreme being who created for us a world in which we could safely grow and learn. The future looked bright for many of us. Living in this land of opportunity, nothing but the lack of trying stood between us and the American dream.
How many of us ever reached that dream? Is life today how we once imagined it would be? I remember all through my growing-up years hearing how everything would change by the year 2000. Our vacations would include trips to the moon and back, we could watch any TV show we wanted whenever we wanted, but we’d have to pay for it. Most of our energy would be solar and men would be replaced by machines in many occupations. Computers would become a necessity and life would be easier all around.
Well, we can watch a wide variety of TV…and virtually anything is available with no censoring or guidelines in place…and we do have to pay for it. Machines are plentiful and production almost unlimited. Solar energy is popular but still not for everybody. Travel to the moon for pleasure has not happened, but world-wide travel is now an everyday occurrence. Computers have become a necessity for everyone… as well as cell phones. As for life being easier…that depends on how one looks at it.
Push-button appliances and vacuums that run by themselves have made it easier for women to work outside the home and for kids to prepare their own meals…but have they added any value to life in general? Can a microwave ask you how your day went, or help you with homework? No, but that’s where the computers come in…and cell phones. There’s always someone available to talk to on Facebook…the problem is you can never be sure if the person you’re talking to is who they claim to be.
The American dream for many has turned out to be a nightmare. Playing outside after dark is no longer safe in most areas. So much violence and sexual influence on TV shows have made most of us older folks simply stop watching. But it’s not us older folks I am concerned with so much. The young people of today are so stressed and worried about so many issues. Where is the answer for them? Don’t they deserve a childhood like we had? How can we help them look forward to a future that’s better than their reality of today? Where is hope to be found when things just seem to get worse all the time?
As I mentioned earlier, I feel our hope and happiness came from the knowledge that there is a God, a supreme being watching over us who has everything under control. In our quest for an easier way and the rapid growth in electronic devices we began to put our trust in objects and took our eyes off the One who gave us the knowledge to invent these devises in the first place.
Lately Americans have seen the need for us, as a country, to turn back to God. This turning back has to start at home, with individuals desiring something better for themselves and their families. We have taken a few steps and God has blessed us along the way, but imagine what He would do if we once again start to recognize Him for who He is and ask His help in showing our young people a better way to live.
In the book of Zechariah, God instructs Zechariah to encourage the people to finish the building of the temple which, after more than 12 years, is only half way done. Rather than scolding them, to encourage them to meet their responsibility for this task, Zechariah reminds the people of the future importance of the temple. The temple must be built because one day the Messiah will return and His glory will live in it. He reminds them they are not merely building a building, they are building the future.
As Christians what better motivation do we need than knowing that our young people are the future? When we build them up in the ways of the Lord and encourage them to serve Him, we give them hope that someday they can experience a future similar to our past. A future when they can live without fear and dread knowing that God is in control and Jesus, our Messiah is coming again. Remember, we are not only preparing them to face the trials of today, but we are building the future…and finishing the work that God commissioned us to do…”Go ye therefore into all the world…”
