The Final Generation?

Why does your generation carry the letter at the very end of the alphabet? You are known as Generation Z.

Rather ominous, isn’t it?

Today’s world seems to echo we are at an end. Trends across the globe are bad, and that is putting it mildly. Our society is not living up to the expectations of leaders and planners of years past. Something is wrong and everyone is beginning to see it. People now worry and fret over the dark unknown that is heading our way.

The internet makes all of this painfully clear. Unlike ever before, we can survey the global landscape and see where humanity is falling short. We can also more easily than ever know how we have failed to solve similar problems throughout history.

As your generation—those born from 1997-2021—heads into adulthood, the future is hazy. The COVID-19 pandemic upended everything. Before December 2019, you and your peers were “in line to inherit a strong economy with record-low unemployment,” Pew Research Center reported.

“That has all changed now, as COVID-19 has reshaped the country’s social, political and economic landscape. Instead of looking ahead to a world of opportunities, Gen Z now peers into an uncertain future.”

Growing up in God’s Church, you may also feel your future is a little unclear—but for different reasons. You have likely heard someone say: “We are at the end of 6,000 years. These are the end times and the final generation.”

These statements can elicit dismal pictures of the end times, death, destruction and, if you are a young person, even dashed dreams. This reality can, and has, discouraged many teenagers striving to live God’s Way as they wonder if they will have the opportunity to live a full, happy, exciting life as promised in the Bible.

Perhaps you have allowed such statements to influence you. You may have even asked: Will I get to go to college? Will I have a career doing what I love? Will there be enough time to get married and have my own family?

Some may have set in their minds that there will not be enough time to do any or all of these things. They may have cast aside goals and dreams for their futures, thinking, What’s the point?

God understands that you may sometimes feel this way. Yet a passage in the biblical book of Ecclesiastes speaks to this—directly to you!—and in a way that you have probably never seen before.

Comforting Words

Notice what God commands all young people: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth…” (Ecc. 11:9).

God wants you to rejoice in your youth! He wants you to enjoy it and be cheerful.

The rest of this passage is chock full of encouraging and instructive words. Examining it thoroughly reveals how you should approach daily life and your dreams for the future.

Before delving deeper into what these comforting and inspiring words mean for you, take another look at our society. Pretending horrible world conditions do not exist will not make them go away. You must take a realistic view of the current world before you can be motivated to have hope.

Most today tend to believe that “what is right and wrong” depends on the situation, and that there are no established “right” and “wrong” actions. Flying in the face of biblical living, this means there are no set rules!

This is most evident when looking at how society now views relationships. A study by a popular dating app revealed that the vast majority of Gen Z do not want to get married.

Therapist Dr. Tammy Nelson explained this growing trend: “I think it’s not so much about monogamy. People naturally will lean towards a primary or central partner, but they want some kind of fluid and flexible sexual relationship. There’s what I describe as a continuum of monogamy” (indy100).

Of course, this is the exact opposite to what God’s Word teaches about marriage and family.

Yet it is not just views on long-term relationships that are shifting.

Pew stated: “Ideas about gender identity are rapidly changing in the U.S., and Gen Z is at the front end of those changes. Gen Zers are much more likely than those in older generations to say they personally know someone who prefers to go by gender-neutral pronouns, with 35% saying so, compared with 25% of Millennials, 16% of Gen Xers, 12% of Boomers and just 7% of Silents. This generational pattern is evident among both Democrats and Republicans.”

With each passing year, the world further distorts and destroys the marriage and familial relationships—the building blocks of a healthy society—as God created them. Replacing them are fornication, “open relationships” with multiple sex partners, and divorce.

These facts tell a lot about this current generation and our society as a whole. People are generally self-centered and moving away from being committed to anything—work, family or religious beliefs. They even have a skewed view of themselves. Obviously, these factors do not make for a stable or happy society, now or in the future.

With such a dark and seemingly hopeless picture, what is there to rejoice and be cheerful about?

God’s Instructions

Return to Ecclesiastes 11 and carefully read both verses 9 and 10: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes: but know you, that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.”

The King James English in this passage can make it somewhat difficult to understand. Yet each phrase carries deep meaning and instructions for all teenagers. Breaking out specific statements and examining them closely reveals exactly how God wants you to approach your life now.

“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth”: Enjoy your youth! Generally, teenagers do not truly understand or appreciate this statement until they are older. Many want to grow up all at once and take on adulthood before their time. This phrase is telling you to slow down and savor each day.

There is a sense of invincibility when you are young. Bones do not creak as much, muscles do not get sore as quickly, and one has boundless energy. Most assume it will always be that way. Any adult will tell you differently!

Ask anyone who is older and they will undoubtedly tell you how they wish they could be young again. They can help you understand the great gift you have right now—being young!

Realize that you do not yet have all the heavy responsibilities of adulthood such as providing for a family. Take advantage of your youth and enjoy every minute of it.

“Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes”: This has a simple—yet thrilling!—meaning. With your teenage years, you invariably have more free time than you will have later in life. Explore what interests you and has the potential to help you develop your unique personality.

This is another chance to get advice from those who are older. Ask them if they got to accomplish everything they wanted to do when they were younger and the overwhelming majority will say that they did not. Do not let this be you!

Pursue worthwhile endeavors that excite you when it is within your power to do so. Learn an instrument or some other skill that takes tremendous time and effort. Though it is a sacrifice, it will be well worth it. Figure out what you like and experience a wide range of activities and people. Do not just go along with the crowd and miss out on something that you would really like, or succumb to the opinions or pressure of others. Most people miss out on experiences because they do not have the courage to go the opposite direction of the majority. Often, such opportunities will not come around a second time.

“But know you, that for all these things God will bring you into judgment”: Saying you should experience as much as you can while you have the time does not give you license to venture outside of God’s way of life.

Realize that you will ultimately be judged by God for everything you do. Individuals are held accountable by Him for the choices they make. He sees everything that we do and will reward those who live within the guidelines set out in the Bible.

The benefits of living God’s Way far outweigh pursuing worldly practices. Notice: “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him…” (II Chron. 16:9).

God watches out for those who do what is pleasing to Him and promises to “show Himself strong” in their lives. This phrase means that He will aid, help and strengthen all those who seek Him!

But God also sees those who live outside His instruction. Continuing to do so puts them in serious peril.

Most of the time, young people in the Church do not realize how dangerous life really is outside its protective bounds. Sadly, for many, it is that one time they decide to move outside of God’s established boundaries that disaster strikes. The seeming thrill is never worth straying from God’s requirements.

Think back to the facts and statistics mentioned earlier about your counterparts in the world. Their lives are dark, hopeless and bleak. This is not what God wants for you! He addresses this in the very next part of Ecclesiastes 11…

“Therefore remove sorrow from your heart”: In other words, do not worry! Do not allow tragic news reports or vile trends of the world to get you down. Take comfort that you are a child of a member of God’s Church. You are sanctified (I Cor. 7:14), which offers you protection and access to the awesome truth of where this world is headed: Jesus Christ will soon return to establish His government on Earth. The problems rampant in modern society will soon fade into the past.

With world events constantly ramping up, it can be easy to think “there is no time” to pursue what your heart desires. Yet this is not true! If you are learning and living God’s Way now, after Christ returns, you will be living exactly the same way. Any worthwhile skills, knowledge and experiences you acquire now will apply then as well.

Constantly remind yourself to “remove sorrow from your heart.” We live in a world that is one big worry. It is awash in crime, violence, war, disease and lack of basic necessities. This same worry will creep into your life if you are not careful.

One of the ways to do this is to recall God’s great promise that He will provide for us (Luke 12:29-30). As long as we stay close to God and His ways, inside His Church, we are guaranteed to be cared for and protected.

Consider Psalm 91: “He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (vs. 1). To “abide under the shadow of the Almighty” implies staying close to God. If you move out from His shadow, you will have left His protection.

Psalm 91:4 shows that God’s protection is given to those who stay close: “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler.”

Again, “His feathers” and “His wings” imply closeness, and “His truth” is only found within His Church.

Any time you notice sorrow or worry entering your mind, re-read this comforting and encouraging psalm.

Also, do not take on any unnecessary cares of adulthood before your time. Take one-on-one dating, for instance. You may feel left out from your peers at school since you do not have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Yet look at all of the drama and emotional turmoil that comes from such relationships. It is 1 percent fleeting moments of pleasure and 99 percent worry and pain.

Instead, focus on cultivating your unique personality and take full advantage of all the opportunities that you have to grow up and learn the lessons of being young.

“Put away evil from your flesh”: Christians are to avoid evil in any and all forms. Failing to do so leads to much sorrow and misery. “Evil” can come in many forms such as hanging with the wrong crowd, reading the wrong books, watching the wrong television shows, and much more. What you choose to spend your time working on and doing makes a big difference.

Another area that many overlook when it comes to putting “away evil from your flesh” is keeping your body healthy. When you are young, you tend to think you will live forever. The body is an incredible machine that God designed. It is durable and can take a lot of abuse. Yet the principle of cause and effect applies here. Poor decisions, such as gorging yourself on junk food and taking unwise physical risks, will eventually take their toll. God expects you to take care of the body you have been given, especially while young. He desires for us to develop good habits when it comes to our physical bodies (I Cor. 6:20).

You may not have considered this before, but just like everything in this world—including your life—everything is on loan from God. This certainly includes your physical body. It is not your own, so you should treat it with great care.

“Childhood and youth are vanity”: Another way to say this is that childhood and youth are fleeting. Any adult will tell you that looking back, their teenage years went by in the blink of an eye.

Even when you are young and your whole life is before you—as exciting as that may seem—this physical life is not to be highly esteemed or held on to at all costs. Even if we live to be 100 years old, we have temporary, relatively short life spans before we die.

God never intended that man live forever as physical human beings. His plan is to build a Family that will live for eternity as spirit beings! The word translated “vanity” here means “a vapor”—as in, here one moment and gone the next. That is what this physical life is in God’s eyes.

A loving God instructs young people to enjoy and experience life, but to do it His Way. This life is passing and something much more important is on the horizon—eternal life in the God Family.

Live God’s Way

Being alive at the end of the age should not be considered punishment. Instead, it should be seen as a tremendous opportunity.

Those living today have the benefit of building on the entirety of knowledge established in the past—the greatest of which is biblical knowledge. Unlike faithful Christians of the past, you have the chance to understand much more of God’s Plan than they ever could.

Use the time now to build a solid foundation in God’s Way. Read the Church’s literature. The books Tomorrow’s Wonderful World – An Inside View! and The Awesome Potential of Man thoroughly discuss what the world will be like after Christ’s Return and what role Christians will play in it. Discuss any questions you have on these topics with your parents or local minister.

On a physical level, you also have the opportunity to take advantage of the advancements technology has afforded. Learning to play a sport or learning a second language is much easier with access to so much information. Refuse to use the end of the age as an excuse to sit around and “wait for Christ to return.”

Live life to the fullest! Do not assume just because we are at the end of an age that you are being cheated out of anything. On the contrary, there is a bright, promising future ahead. You are learning how to live in that world now in God’s Church. The rest of the world is not interested in this way, and they will be sucked into the hardships coming as God closes out one generation and begins another.

This final generation is part of an evil age. But once end-time events play out, you will be an important part of the first generation of a brand-new world—one that is filled with peace, prosperity and every good thing! The young people in God’s Church will be the leaders in this new world tomorrow. But life can and should be enjoyed in this age also.

Remember God’s instruction to enjoy your youth—a special time that occurs only once. Take advantage of this gift and live God’s Way so you can be happy, blessed and fulfilled. Do not worry the way the world does. Instead, use the extraordinary opportunity to prosper and benefit others. This final generation is passing because it is rotten to the core, but life—your life—will continue!