Is this the "me" generation?

[SUNSTONE]

I heard a sermon yesturday morning on the radio, I don't know the preachers name but I hear him a lot.
Anyways he said that the negotive spirit of this generation is hands down "selfishness", he called this generation the "me generation".

He talked about how insensitive this generation is, and gave an example of how this century there have been more christians martored(sp?) than all other centurys combined.
He talked about china and how a lady was beaten to death for going to church, and how they close down 1000's of home churches, and imprisoned 100's of preachers, and at the same time this country recieves "most favorable" status from the US.

He talked about how even our prayers are selfish, and how people give money in hopes of getting even more money back so that they can live a wealthy lifestyle.

I know I struggle with being selfish, and I agree with him, this is the "me" generation, there is a "selfish" spirit that is doing all it can to try and keep us trapped in that selfish lifestyle.

What do you think?
True? Some what true? False?

 

[lismore]

Every generation is the 'me' generation.

 

[SUNSTONE]

Every generation reaps what it sows.
Don't hide behind the majority to excuse a selfish lifestyle.

God understands emotions and the temptation of sin.
But at the same time He expects you to strive, to fight, to confess, and He has equiped us with the ability to be more than overcomers.

 

[nephilimiyr]

I think it's more the "now" generation then the me generation, but then again, you can't have a "now" generation unless everyone is thinking of themselves first.

Honestly though, when I was growing up in the 70s people were calling that the "now" generation but little did they know it would be 10 times worse in the early 21 century.

Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore. Nobody is being taught that to recieve good things you must work for it anymore. Everyone is living on credit and in debt.

The main reason why the economy has taken a dump is because of this. It used to be people didn't buy homes until they had built up a substantial down payment and most people were in their 30's by the time that happend. Not anymore....

 

[Cassidy]

So did the preacher give an answer at all?

 

[Elijah2]

Selfishness comes from our message of life as a child. We carry a lot of excess baggage, and garbage around with us, and when we come to our Lord Jesus Christ we are NEVER shown how to discard it.

We are told that once we a saved, then all our sins are gone, but there is no mention about our "broken-hearts". All those hurts, offences, abuse, and trauma that drove us to the doors of our nearest church is still secretly locked away deep-down within our hearts, the very mind that we are suppose to "transform by renewing our heart", after being "conformed" to the world (Rom. 12:2).

All our anger, bitterness, and hatred that comes from those things, puts us into a "turtle shell" of protection, and when then look after ourself only. This happens when we experience in the Body of Christ of the very same things we experienced from our past life, when we were conformed to the world.

I can remember Billy Joel singing a very special song many years ago: "What about me?"

We we remove SELF from our attitude and behaviour, such self-esteem, and self-centredness, and begin to think about the bloke next door, then "ME" will disappear, because me is the "I" Box, the same as Satan.

Three most important words are our golden rules of relationship: If you please; I am wrong; You are right; I am sorry; Please forgive me; I forgive you; and I love you.

And the least important word is: "I"!

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[Ajax 777]

I think it's more the "now" generation then the me generation, but then again, you can't have a "now" generation unless everyone is thinking of themselves first.

Honestly though, when I was growing up in the 70s people were calling that the "now" generation but little did they know it would be 10 times worse in the early 21 century.

Nobody wants to wait for anything anymore. Nobody is being taught that to recieve good things you must work for it anymore. Everyone is living on credit and in debt.

WELL said, Neph!!!

 

[JimB]

Man is not the center. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake. “Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too) but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the Divine love may rest “well pleased.” To ask that God’s love should be content with us as we are is to ask that God should cease to be God: because He is what He is, His love must, in the nature of things, be impeded and repelled by certain stains in our present character, and because He already loves us He must labour to make us lovable. We cannot even wish, in our better moments, that He could reconcile Himself to our present impurities—no more than the beggar maid could wish that King Cophetua should be content with her rags and dirt, or a dog, once having learned to love man, could wish that man were such as to tolerate in his house the snapping, verminous, polluting creature of the wild pack. What we would here and now call our “happiness” is not the end God chiefly has in view: but when we are such as He can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy. (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain)

IOW, Two points: 1). God created us to love us but he loves us too much to leave us the way we are. 2). It’s not about me, it’s about Him.



~Jim

God brings us into deep waters not to drown us, but to cleanse us.​

 

[nephilimiyr]

WELL said, Neph!!!

Thanks Ajax,

My wife and I had 4 children, 4 boys. And while we were raising them my wife stayed at home at least until the youngest boy was in school full time. I didn't have the best paying job as a factory worker but we made it and before we ever spent any money on frivilous things/ entertainment/receation we made sure that we could aford it. No we weren't able to go alot of places or spend alot of money on ourselves but we made it.

At the sametime, alot of my fellow co-workers, married with children also but most of the time with just 1 or 2 children, needed to have all that they wanted, and usually the best of the line too. Whether it was motorcycles, snowmobiles, jet skies, hot tubes, brand new car, vacations to Florida etc., etc. None of them would even think of saving up money for these things, no, they had to have it NOW! And as soon as they could hook up financing, they spent the money. In the mean time, their spouse is also working a fulltime job and their kids are brats. They then would come to me and complain about not being payed enough for the work that they do and how deeply in debt they were.
And all because they figured they were entitled, they deserved to have things now instead of waiting as long as their parents did to get things. I've heard some of them say that they didn't want to wait until they retired to enjoy life, like their parents had to wait.

 

[SUNSTONE]

So did the preacher give an answer at all?

I don't know, I arrived at church and didn't hear the rest of it.
But the answer is the 2 great commandments that Jesus gave, Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

 

[Cassidy]

I don't know, I arrived at church and didn't hear the rest of it.
But the answer is the 2 great commandments that Jesus gave, Love God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.

That's a shame you didn't hear the rest.

 

[SUNSTONE]

The problem with calling this the "now" generation is this.
What if you have the money to buy a lot of toys, cars, tv sets, ect. does that mean it is ok to buy those things?
The bible says that the fool spends all that he has.
And spending a lot of money on yourself isn't being Christ like, it's being selfish.

That's why I think the "me" generation fits better.

 

[KleinerApfel]

The problem with calling this the "now" generation is this.
What if you have the money to buy a lot of toys, cars, tv sets, ect. does that mean it is ok to buy those things?
The bible says that the fool spends all that he has.
And spending a lot of money on yourself isn't being Christ like, it's being selfish.

That's why I think the "me" generation fits better.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to spend so much time accusing people they know practically nothing about of all kinds of faults they might not even have.

For all you know, the vast majority of posters here might be some of the nicest people you could meet, but you'll never find out if we are or not because you prefer to tell us how horrible we are every day!

To be honest, it makes me feel like being horrible when I read post after post after post telling me how lazy/selfish/whatever you think I am! :o

 

[Cassidy]

We can sit and define the world till the cows come home...but it's not going to help. Instead it's going to make us look self-righteous and judgemental instead of loving. The best answer we can give to any group we wish to stamp a label on is CHRIST! He is the answer...whether it's the me, now, later, yesterday, tomorrow, don't care, care too much, selfish, or unselfish generation! The answer has always been and will always be CHRIST!

We can sit here and say how they are bad and they need an answer...or...we can be the answer!

 

[SUNSTONE]

I can't imagine why anyone would want to spend so much time accusing people they know practically nothing about of all kinds of faults they might not even have.

For all you know, the vast majority of posters here might be some of the nicest people you could meet, but you'll never find out if we are or not because you prefer to tell us how horrible we are every day!

To be honest, it makes me feel like being horrible when I read post after post after post telling me how lazy/selfish/whatever you think I am! :o

Because there are so many hurting people that need our help, and there are a lot of people that can help but don't because they are selfish or ignorant.

Jesus asked Peter 3 times "Do you love me? ..... then tend my flock"
Why did He say it 3 times? Because He wanted to make sure that He got the point across.

 

[KleinerApfel]

Because there are so many hurting people that need our help, and there are a lot of people that can help but don't because they are selfish or ignorant.

Jesus asked Peter 3 times "Do you love me? ..... then tend my flock"
Why did He say it 3 times? Because He wanted to make sure that He got the point across.

Yes, we all KNOW there are hurting people out there. Some of us are DOING something about it, some of us are too sick to be doing as much as we'd like at the moment, and some of us even ARE the hurting people. Either way, you NAGGING at us day after day is NOT helping anybody! Just stop it and leave us alone!

 

[Cassidy]

You know Sunstone, I have never ever seen you post anything loving or encouraging in any thread - ever! All I see is you pointing the finger at everyone...Christian/nonChristian alike! Why do you find the need to point out what we already know?...we're not stupid!!

 

[SUNSTONE]

Yes, we all KNOW there are hurting people out there. Some of us are DOING something about it, some of us are too sick to be doing as much as we'd like at the moment, and some of us even ARE the hurting people. Either way, you NAGGING at us day after day is NOT helping anybody! Just stop it and leave us alone!

Sorry, I'm under the direction of the Holy Spirit on this one.
So you nagging me isn't going to get me to stop.
I would suggest throwing stones, that would get me to stop.

 

[SUNSTONE]

You know Sunstone, I have never ever seen you post anything loving or encouraging in any thread - ever! All I see is you pointing the finger at everyone...Christian/nonChristian alike! Why do you find the need to point out what we already know?...we're not stupid!!

Is that a confession?

Or is that a "yeah we already know that we are being selfish, and we aren't going to stop." ?

 

[KleinerApfel]

Accusing the family of God is a position that got taken a long, long time before you were born SUNSTONE. It is not a job that's up for grabs, it is occupied by someone with millenia of practice at it, so relax and stop helping the incumbent to perform his duties!

The Holy Spirit is NOT directing accusation.