There is a great scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off where he is pretending to be Abe Fromon, sausage king of Chicago and has a run in with the concerige where he utters the line, "I pity the future."
Well, right now in certain areas I do. You probably have heard alot about the generations stuff today. For example, there are five generations in the church today, four in the workplace.
Well, right now in certain areas I do. You probably have heard alot about the generations stuff today. For example, there are five generations in the church today, four in the workplace.
Today I am going to show you the difference between mine and this younger one.
A good friend and I were having breakfast one morning and one of the conversations that the table of six young people at the table across from us were having was about missing work that day and how several were going to skip work.
This is something I would never have considered. My parents would have made sure of it but I have always wanted to work. There are things that come from it. I couldn't imagine slacking from work in my day and just the sheer thought of explainin that to my manager.
Skip ahead to shopping at the Riverchase Galleria on the day before Thanksgiving and watching Build A Bear implode due to lack of employees. They were two to three short and it took my wife and girls 90 minutes to make their way thru their annual tradition of getting a new BABear.
Fast forward to Cracker Barrel two days later after some intense Black Friday shopping and we are seated amongst five tables that haven't been cleaned at 8pm at night. The reason I lean on the younger generation here is that that I haven't seen older people ever cleaning tables at CB just the young ones. This one was hurting. Good food, good service....
Here is my theory. You have probably heard of the "helicopter parents" that watch over their kids in college. Every move has been orchestrated for years. Well, my theory is that you also have alot of kids that are just doing as they please. They watch things they shouldn't be watching at their age, play video games that they have no business playing, and why should it be any different for them to blow off a job? Its a pretty day, and they go from fast food to fast food job never learning any real work ethic and not really caring.
This is going to be a tough wake up call for them when they have to decide on a career. Mom and Dad today aren't going to say much as long as they are pulling some change down at a entry level job but when they start to get into college it could be interesting. I don't think they see the problem this creates for their manager or supervisor. Nor do they care, but when you are continually late or not at work you start to put yourself in a position to be liberated.
In the Letter to the Ephesians that Paul wrote to the Christians there (6:4) he asked the "fathers to not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Fathers are called to teach their children the word of God so they will know what to stand on in this world. There are a couple of areas that Dads need to watch against with their children.
1st is overprotection. There are things we are protecting our kids from and there are things thru relationships that they will have to learn. But, they being taught the word of God it will help them make that decision as well as their heart condition.
Next is discouraging them. Doing this continually is going to affect their self-esteem as well as their confidence. You are their dad, not their best friend. You need to encourage them as God gifts them. Cruel words, actions or neglect are not things you need to do as a dad.
Thirdly is micromanaging them. We learned this as soon as the twins arrived that we needed to schedule but all be in agreement. For example, if we did everything and pushed them into everything we wouldn't have a family we would have a transportation service. Don't be pulled into the "Wants" side of the world. Carefully plan and don't forget time for bible study. Help them learn how to study on their own. See how God has gifted them but don't mistake your parenting versus what the Jones are doing. Ask God and seek Him if you have questions.
Harvard and Yale were established to teach men to be in the ministry. Times change don't they?
In fact, Harvard was started because the thinking was Yale was becoming to liberal. Dartmouth was established to teach missionaries. Little different today at colleges who are no more supermarkets of knowledge than what they once were. I know in my field, I could care less where you went to school, what value do you bring?
John Meador said several years ago at a night service at the Park that your children need to hear these three things:
1) I love you
2) I am proud of you
3) You do this well
I worry about many youngsters that I see in retail work environments as they don't have even enough gumption to understand what customer service is or care. After we get thru this recession we will run smack dab into a shortage of workers as the boomers retire and it will get really tough from a talent standpoint to staff some of these jobs. 2011 to 2012 will show this.
Parents today need to be thinking about these things in my opinion. The world is not going to do anything but challenge you to think like it. God thinks about things differently.
As a man, dad or husband you are here on this earth for a short time. This is your training ground. Heaven is your destination. Show your children what Paul said. Instruct them around scripture, if you don't know it get into it. Where do you start? As David Lawson says ,"just pick it up and start reading." Ask God to speak to you thru what you are reading. If you are a dad I would start in Ephesians....
You will not be able to understand the Christ Life fully until you know what the word of God says about it. I know this by experience.
Oh and about the coming event in Washington in January, this person gets it right. The last big 1 million plus event in Washington was PK. It was historical and so will this event in January:
May God Bless you today and grant you the desire to know Him more by learning more about His word..
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