Culture Shapers

I recently read an article by the Barna Research Group which stated that only 4 out of 100 teenagers in today’s society hold to a true biblical worldview. Generation Z (those born between 1999-2015) are “the least Christianized generation in the history of our country”, this article claimed. As I read through the entirety of the data that was gathered by a very credible resource, and sifted through my emotions, two primary responses came to the forefront of my mind. The first was heartbreak. I could not believe that only 4% of today’s teenagers hold to a biblical worldview. The way we think about and answer life’s biggest questions shapes how we view the world in which we live. Where did mankind come from and what is our purpose? How do we know what is morally right/wrong? Who determines truth and is there such a thing as absolute truth? What happens to a person when he or she dies? These are the questions that one’s worldview must answer. In other words, our response to these questions will tell ourselves and others the type of worldview we possess. So many people in our culture, particularly the younger generation, are not thinking biblically about life’s big questions. My second response was rejuvenation. As sad I was to hear of such low numbers of young people possessing a biblical worldview, God reminded me of my calling to minister to teenagers and the calling to which He has called all of His followers: to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to join Him in expanding His kingdom. If the numbers above are true, then, fellow believer, our task is monumental. Dare I say it is impossible to embark upon without abiding in Christ. As Jesus declared in Luke 10:2, “the harvest” is indeed “plentiful”. Jesus also told His followers that the “workers are few”. As a Christ-follower, the question we must ask of ourselves is this: are we willing to go to work for the sake of the gospel? With the world being our harvest field, God has given us the privilege of joining Him in His work of transforming lives. When we look at the condition of our culture today, we realize the task before us is great. However, when we look at the cross of Christ and its impact on our lives, we realize that there is nothing greater than proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. God wants you and me to be part of a “harvest generation” of people who are passionate for His name and His renown. May we receive this daunting task with humility and boldness and may we live as a disciple who shapes the culture instead of allowing ourselves to be shaped by the culture.