What is Wrong With This Generation

What is Wrong With This Generation (or what’s up with kids these days)?

JBH Wonders, 01/2016

I would venture to guess that this question has been posited by at least a few parents since the time of Moses. But this article focuses on the offspring of the so-called "baby boomers" .

So many times we hear the words “what is wrong with this generation” and then what follows is a hit list of items for concern. And there is the worn out excuse that our children are born to us lacking a set of  “how to” book of instructions. This article suggests that we have been given instructions and there was a time when they were followed by most parents.

No one individual suffers from all of these issues of course but here are a few modern day parental complaints about their children:

They won’t listen. They disrespect authority and get into trouble.

They watch too much TV or play too many video games.

They do not do well in school and do not seem to be learning anything of use.

They are not sociable and don’t get along well with others.

They lack ambition and have little interest in doing something worthwhile.
They lack confidence about trying new things.

They are always getting into trouble at home and in school.

They are lazy, don’t want to work and keep asking for money.

They have a mean disposition and often get into fights.

They hang around with the wrong crowd.

They don’t eat right and are over/under weight.

They are into drugs and alcohol.             

They think about sex too much and/or are “gender confused”.

They are not sociable, blame others for their problems, and have some self-pity.

They are selfish and are always asking for some “thing”.

So my fellow baby boomers who are complaining about the above, I would ask how close were we in following with our children the basic instructions before leaving earth? (The B i b l e)

Did we try to be our children’s pal instead of a teacher and disciplinarian?

“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding”

Proverbs 4:1

“Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth”.

Proverbs 7:24

Did we use TV or video games as a baby sitter?

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it..”

Proverbs 22:6

How much did we read to our children and were we involved in their formal education and training for basic skills? 

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”

Hosea 4:6

“The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.” 
Proverbs 23:24

How much did we play with our children?

“But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Mathew 19:14

How much did we encourage our children and praise them when they accomplished something? 

“Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”

Proverbs 20:11

“Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged”

Colossians 3:21

How harsh were we on our children when they did a minor “offense”?

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” 
Mathew 12:33

Did we let our children off easy for a major “offense”?

“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes”.

Proverbs 13:24

“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul”.

Proverbs 29:17

Did we give our children simple chores to do when they were young and gradually increase the effort and responsibility required in order to teach them a good work ethic?

“For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.”

II Thessalonians 3:10

Was physical punishment to our children ever administered in anger or excessively?

“Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

Colossians 3:21

“The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him”.

Proverbs 20:7

Did we ever take our children to church or teach them about God?

“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:4

“Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation”.

Joel 1:3

“And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”

Isaiah 54:13

What did we feed out children when they were growing?

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”

III John 1:2

“Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you.”.

Acts 27:34

Did we allow our child to be drugged because of some behavior problems?

“The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

Proverbs 29:15

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him”.

Proverbs 22:15

Did we treat our sons like boys and our daughters like girls? Did they have proper male and female role models (preferably a mom and a dad).

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female…”

Genesis 1:27

“That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in

 sanctification and honour;”

I Thessalonians 4:4

Were our children raised in a home atmosphere of positive thinking and taught to solve problems instead of whining and complaining?

“She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”

Proverbs 31:27-28

“All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”

Proverbs 15:15

Did we teach our children to share, be charitable, and say please and thank you?

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”.

I Timothy 6:8

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Colossians 3:2

“Let all your things be done with charity.”

 Corinthians 16:14

Was prayer forbidden in our children’s school. (Implying that it is a wrong thing to do).

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?”

Romans 10:14

And then there are the ten commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) that pretty much says it all and were literally carved in stone. Good instructions and good rules for everyone to get along with each other and end up in the right place.  

I am neither a family counselor, a child psychologist, nor a Bible scholar. Perhaps I also took some “poetic license” or “religious liberty” in writing this article. However, the mistakes that I made learning to be a proper dad still gives me some credentials to at least spout “my two cents worth for what its worth”. I have also witnessed other situations from family and friends that gives me notice of what is wrong with this generation. I think that we baby boomers may have fell asleep at the wheel in some cases. There is enough blame that can be shared by all, but I pray that we instead work on solutions.

Thankfully my children, for the most part, have become responsible and productive adults. This was not all of my doing of course. Anyone nominating me for “the father of the year award” is not likely. My children had to go through some difficult situations while growing up but they learned to deal with things instead of blaming others for their woes. But that was not the subject of this article.

I have only attempted to point out that the Bible remains a bedrock of fundamental ideas, concepts and guidance on how people should behave. This goes for parents and children. Even for those who do not believe in God cannot honestly deny the value of these basic instructions before…(fill in the blank).

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

II Timothy 3:16