They are known as the Entitlement Generation¹. They believe they deserve it and they want it now.

It seems that the options before me are:
- join the merry game with them.
- lament their grievous departure from good old thrift, hard work, and loyalty.
- look deeper and see what is going on from God’s point of view.

Let me share what I have gleaned thus far from the third option. Firstly, in seeking to understand the younger set, I realized I had to combat a persistent streak of self righteousness. Comparatively, they can seem like such spoilt brats. This was disabling to my ability to see with compassion and thus perceive with wisdom and apply godly appraisal. It is always easier to have everyone be like us or else to “live and let live.” The spirit of truth does not encourage either way; and so, the hard work of checking my soul and working my mind was needed.

The pursuit of pleasure does not in itself qualify as sin. Scripture does not condemn it as such, although the august declaration by the ultimate hedonist, Solomon, summed up the view: it is folly. King Solomon was wont to set the pursuit of pleasure as his life goal – even doing so through religious activities – only to conclude that all of it had been a futile waste of time. Nothing is gained unless it is first and foremost Godward. Thus, all pleasure, even the pleasure of “worship” is futile. This is from someone who knew power, wealth, and sex up close. He did not even just have a gala time, his was all out big time, big name, best effects dine, wine, dance, and even worship.

“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13). This means that hedonism of any stripe² is definitely not Godward and it distorts us, taking us away from the “duty of man.”

Is the wanton pursuit of pleasure today more sinful? I do not believe any generation is inherently more or less sinful. Rather, each generation or culture expresses the sinful bent differently because of a confluence of opportunity, ability, and personality. For example, the thought of divorce (or separation) no doubt crossed many good pious minds three decades ago. But the social climate may make it very hard and the person may not have the personality to pursue it.

Rather, as Jesus put it, “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean’” (Mt 15:11). Sin is an intrinsic bent. The question is when will it surface and how? So we, as the older generation, must be careful not to end up on the pharisaical end of things with our “tsk tsk” while being blinded by our own sinful manifestations.

But something is defnitely happening and here are some signs:

Some time ago, I was sitting in a huge cavernous hall where thousands have gathered for a worship service. I have great respect for what that church was seeking to do. But just as the lasers beamed and the multiple videos flickered, I was struck: how much energy are we expending in order to engage ourselves in worship? I could almost see my carbon footprints all the way home. 

On another occasion, a youth lamented that they could not get more volunteers for another one of these large meetings. He went on to insist that they should have used some hyped up effects to recruit the volunteers. 

Both of these left me wondering if we are fast becoming incapable of convictions and corresponding action without being cajoled and “moved” by means of the loud, fast, and enjoyable. No one will get involved if they are not going to be amused or entertained. Joy becomes neither a gift nor discovery but a wager.

So asking hard questions, in depth study, and taking a stand that may upset your peers are all becoming unpopular with the young today. “Let’s have a jolly good time” is the mantra.

How did we get here and should we get out?

The Bible tells us that the starting place for digression is found in the denial of our place, viz. God. In the Garden of Eden, when man and woman wrongly assumed that they could outsmart God or second guess Him, they tore down the walls of restraint and opened up a path of self determination that would always bring mixed results. Throughout the history of man, we see this pattern play out: our best and most noble ideas are tainted or else hijacked by darker purposes.

To paraphrase Thomas Merton: We were designed to will what God wills, to choose what God chooses, and to love what God loves. Sin is to will, choose, and love what God wouldn’t will, choose or love.

Merton hits hard at the core of things: we have a choice. This is our highest gift and ability. Alas, today, our power to choose is spent on deciding the flavor of coffee rather than the substance of nutrition.

It is always hard to swim against the tide and it is too bad we cannot get lifted out of the water to a safe place to spawn comfortably and reproduce after our own kind. However, Kierkegaard has warned us that unthinking compliance is suicide. Yet compliance is far easier as it helps us feel belonged and “normal.”

But what is normal?

When we look at our societies and our lives without a frame of reference, we are left with the current data to figure out. The Bible was given to provide us a framework to screen our current realities with. But one wonders how well we do today, in light of the many conspiring factors that work against it: the suspicion of authority, the rise of the mighty individual (greatly aided by the Internet), the break down of traditional institutions of safety, respect, and trust, in relation to family, church, and even academia. The young people today are the most powerful yet of their generation to date. Of course, they have been greatly enabled by parents, many who have worked hard to get to the good life and simply downloaded all the benefits therein on their progeny.

From parents to pastors, those of us in leadership do well to ponder long and hard at what anchors we use to navigate such tumultuous waters. It is time to dig deeper into the roots and find if they are truly secure. It is time to ask what are we communicating, in the way we pursue, plan, and program. The messages of our lives are being picked up and distilled more than our words. I fear that we have helped make them both cynical as well as flaccid because we seek pleasure as reward for our hard work. Watching us, our children, being handed more to begin with, in turn smart to the reality that they want to enjoy, and do it sooner and with less pain of hard work.

Then we must consider how we may have overdone our bid to relate. We do not all have the skills and bandwidth to deal with the substance plus the presentation. In the end, it is often the substance that gets lost in translation from old school to new. This was Nouwen’s warning to us about the temptation of relevance. When we become relevant enough, our lives and messages are irrelevant for they have lost their leadership and prophetic edge.

I believe the generation to come is a gift to us to call forth the best in us as we love them and guide them to find sound anchors and suitable expressions of faith, hope, and love. But we cannot do that until we first heed Solomon’s warning that our lives must be lived Godward. From how we start our day, to what goes on in our calendars, and what our pockets are emptied for, it is good to ask if it is God oriented and pleasing. Remembering both the truth that we are creatures under God and that we are on a journey of restoration to fullness, we can develop an inner radar to guide us. We do not jump at the first bargain, take the immediate advantage, or pick the way of least resistance. We begin imperfectly, but authentically – to model what it means to steer away from the common tide.

Our goal in life as the redeemed and restored is to focus on the God who has saved, and is daily saving us, and cooperate with His work for our greatest good and the highest pleasure that lies in it.

Notes:
1. Referring to those age five to twenty who live in affluent societies.

2. Philosophy describes various types of hedonism. They all include the pursuit of pleasure as the highest satisfaction – whether for self, collective or even for moral reasons. Pastor John Piper has used the term “Christian hedonism” to creatively suggest that God has designed us for pleasure which is to be found in God.

Rev Jenni Ho Huan loves to work through the faith-life nexus. She is passionate about authenticity and community, and seeks to live by God’s vision of life. Currently one of four pastors in a church plant in Singapore ( www.birhinganewchurch.com), Jenni also writes and mentors. She has written When God Shapes a W.I.F.E (Armour) and Simple Tips for Happy Kids (WriteEditions) and blogs on jennihh.blogspot.com.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

Learning is a lifelong journey that has no finishing line to cross and is possessed by everyone. Visibly, our learning journey started when our path of education commenced but nothing can be further from the truth. While we gain knowledge through formal education, the real learning comes from the numerous social interactions we encounter in our lives that are often taken for granted. If one defines education as learning, it is then not possible to take socializing out of the equation.

As a part-time lecturer, a privileged position, in one of Singapore’s polytechnics, I am bestowed with the responsibility to impress upon young people a passion for learning.

Having the discipline to learn is no doubt a virtue. I think today’s polytechnic students can understand the meaning of discipline but most will possess insufficient life experiences to appreciate its importance. The insulated lifestyle has conditioned them to seek out easier alternatives to numb the pressure of constant bombardment of information from the many lessons and homework assigned to them.

To students, learning should take on certain elements of fun. When the lecturer fails to provide fun, they will seek fun autonomously. The path of least resistance always wins. Where might they acquire the notion of fun within learning? Perhaps we can attribute to those radical educationists who aggressively marketed alternate means to learning. These messages often connote elements of fun whilst learning. Fun could no longer be omitted as a lure to make parents pay for such enhancement programs for their beloved kids.

Fun is perhaps the greatest attraction of social media. While this article has not provided data on the amount of time people spend on social media, we can safely assume that it is significant. Many reasons could be provided to justify the addiction to social media but if the process is not fun, it would not have such a profound influence on our society. Take for example, the soaring frequency and number of visits to social media websites during Singapore’s last general election.

For the social animals, reaching out to the masses has never been easier. For the hermits, they could selectively connect with certain individuals. For the psychopaths, they can take on other identities or live another life. For the forgetful ones, missing friends’ birthdays are a thing of the past. For the love seekers, feeling shy is easily overcome. That gives us very little reason not to use social media.

What about paper and pen? Gradually, education might take on a paperless and fully electronic mode of learning. In the polytechnic where I am lecturing, all educational activities are done through a common portal. The entire campus is fitted with wireless Internet facility for both staff and students. Remaining logged on to the grid is gradually seen as an indicator of productivity. Latching on to social media whilst online is a given. Even amongst staff, we are encouraged to communicate through an online chat application. While it is not entirely a social media, it is surely a subset.

Can lecturers stop students from using social media during class? Politically speaking YES, because…they can. A common house rule of “No laptops during lectures” will eliminate the use of social media. Unfortunately in the context of learning, it comes with a price. Where desire lurks, it fights back harder when it is suppressed. Passively, students may resist learning when subjected to such house rules. If they can use social media in class, would the quality of learning be mediocre? There is no right way to deal with this. The teacher has to manage the situation. In a warped sense of reality, the students may become underdeveloped if they are deprived the use of such media in this information technology era.

Personally, I think there is no fixed way to capitalize on social media in learning. Perhaps indirectly, social media can be utilized in lecturer-student communication. The widespread use of social media among students is probably underpinned by their desire to exercise freedom and rights. When deprived of the accessibility, it can be perceived as disrespecting their entitlement. Well, the general response is passive defiance instead of open confrontation. When students refuse to learn, the situation turns into a zero-sum game.

By not restricting the use of social media during lessons explicitly but addressing the pitfalls, students are given the space to exercise their judgment. It should not imply that such distractions are encouraged as well. Many educators will tend to err on the safe side by restricting the use of social media. It may sound superficial but when students like their lecturers, boring subjects become interesting too. When students feel that they are being respected, they will reciprocate. This is the onset of the quality learning process. Indirectly, social media can add value to learning.

Depending on topics, interesting associations could be made between the issues taught and social media. Students are likely to understand the lessons through these associations. Many useful analogies are generated due to social media. As they are online, they can quickly verify any assumptions or claims made. Certain websites have fun learning applications that can arouse interest as well. These merits may not be directly from social media but by virtue of staying online, it opens up another option in obtaining information.

From the 80s to 90s, whatever that was taught was to be taken as fact and truth. No room was given for alternative perspectives. But today, students who use social media in class can easily conduct secondary research to verify the information presented by the lecturer as the lessons unfold. With ownership of learning, the resulting discussions are generally relevant and meaningful.

Educators take for granted that all students are adequately vocal and able to raise queries to facilitate their personal learning. Nothing is more erroneous. While most people undergo similar stages of development, they do not advance at the same pace. Students can get to share their thoughts through the use of social media without the need to confront the fear of public speaking. Is it normal to verify each other’s understanding through social media as lessons are underway? Is this an advantage? Without contextualization, this claim remains neutral.

Social media is not all good for sure but it is not downright evil as well. The question is probably relevance and management. Educators must first appreciate its potential and recognize the expected side effects before taking on this double-edged sword. However, in the true spirit of learning to deal with the world, recognizing both aspects of good and bad are essential. General education builds efficiency but largely neglects effectiveness. This is especially true when students are prevented from making judgments, regardless of good or bad. Imagine if there is no alternative to good, the good will lose its essence.

In summary, social media has certain unique advantages over formal education in terms of growth in personal learning. These media forms can even fill up the gaps of formal education when utilized appropriately. Conversely, the perspective towards integrating social media in education is divided and even highly controversial. Educators who attempt to utilize such alternate means in teaching must manage both the up and downsides. With freedom comes responsibility. Educators who grant freedom to students should be ready for liabilities from it. Above all, social media is FUN.

With our approval or not, social media is evolving and here to stay. After all, learning is nothing more than a process of communication, and so is socializing. Perhaps it is time for educators to see beyond transmission of information as the only purpose of education.

Adam Chan is a tertiary level lecturer in Singapore who engages in several interests and business activities to keep a fulfilled life. These activities include music, guitars, product development, corporate training, and content crafting. His motivation to adopt social media as part of teaching stems from the desire to connect better with his students.

Jesus: our example of holiness

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child and had him stand in the midst of them. Mark 9:36 says that He took that child in His arms.

Children loved Jesus; no child would be held by someone with whom they felt unsafe or insecure. Children go to happy, caring, fun people! They must have been around Jesus because He did not have to go and find a child when asked the question. The child was right there with Him already.

The sin of hindering access to the presence of Jesus

In Mark 10:13-16 we read how He rebuked the disciples for preventing the people from bringing children to Him. Jesus was making it very clear to the disciples that the children are to have an unhindered path to His presence. Even those considering themselves to be His closest friends were to maintain access for the children. What implications does this have for the body of Christ?

Jesus did not place conditions on the state of the children who were welcomed: the rich and the poor, those in the streets and those in the palaces, those who were dirty and those in the latest fashions, those who were sick and those who are our finest athletes, those who live among the garbage and those who have homes where they are loved and accepted. All have the right to come to the presence of Jesus and the older generations are to “forbid them not!”

Children, our role models

“Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven…’” (Mt 18: 2-3).

In coming to Jesus we are to come as little children. This does not mean childishly but rather in child-likeness and there is a big difference between the two. Children come with uncluttered faith expecting to be loved unconditionally with every need met. “Whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:4).

Children are as much our role models as we are theirs. If we do not have any children around us, how do we know how to be great in the Kingdom of heaven? We all walk away from our childhood and our memories grow dim as we become so called sophisticated adults. We have forgotten what it is to come as little children. It is a privilege to have them in our lives. If someone came to you and asked how to be great in the kingdom of God – could you show them a child?

The sin of not welcoming Jesus

“Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Mt 18: 5). Who do we receive when we receive a child? Jesus. If we do not receive a child, who do we not receive? Jesus. If we insult a child, who do we insult? Jesus. If we despise a child, who do we despise? Jesus. You may have read this passage many times but have you understood its impact? We need to be awesomely aware that in the face of a child is the face of the Lord Jesus; then our relationship with them will change and so will our relationship with Jesus Himself. Many times, these words from Matthew 18:5 bring adjustment to my attitude to a “little one” and it always corrects my heart.

The sin of causing a child to stumble

Jesus is saying, “If you are going to sin in this area, go and put a great big mill stone round your neck and jump in the sea” (Mt 18:6, paraphrase, mine). This is the only sin that He speaks about in this way. A millstone is BIG!

Jesus knew the vulnerability of children and the impact other generations could make on their lives. When older generations hinder a child, they have the potential to hinder that child through their teenage and adult years. A damaged adult can bring up damaged children and so the generations that follow can all be affected.

Satan is well aware of this and the evidence of his destruction on the lives of children is all around us. In every nation he is seeking to destroy children, even to abort their entry into the world. God gave the older generation’s responsibility to nurture, protect, and reveal His glory to them. We are custodians of their generation.

Think of the things that cause you to stumble – being ignored, spoken to inappropriately, not being recognized, included or understood. These things cause children to stumble too. “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” (Mt 18:7-9).

We know the sort of sins that raged against children in terms of abuse. Lots of them start with the eye. We know the cruelty that is raged against children; lots of it start with the hand and the feet. There is no mistaking the awesome severity of the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to these things.

The sin of despising

“Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My father who is in heaven” (Mt 18:10). Despise means “look down on.” How easy it is to fall into that attitude. Jesus immediately elevates the children right into the throne room of God. He has representatives of the children, angels, who look right into the face of their heavenly Father on their behalf. Not one child is missed.

The sin of not looking

Jesus tells the story of the hundred sheep and the one that goes missing, finishing with “even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Mt 15:14). Have you ever noticed that the story of the hundred sheep is about children in this Gospel?

Have you ever heard it said, “they are only children”? How quick we are to meet the needs of the adults, to ensure they have the best. Jesus requires that we reexamine our priorities. Go after a child who is lost, for they cannot find their own way back. If a child goes missing from home, an operation is put in place to find them. It becomes priority and no one rests until he or she is found. So it must be with the children who are lost to Jesus.

Sin of the “spirit of abortion”

How many times have Christians said things like “I can’t do things I want if children are around”? Or, “I haven’t really got time to have children in my life.” These statements are often spoken in the context of the life of the Church, but they are also the very words that are often spoken in the doctor’s surgery by someone who is asking for an abortion.

When the church rises up on behalf of the children in thought, word, and deed, then we will have greater strength to defy the power of evil in the world around us.

Speak life to this generation, welcome them, nurture them, lay down your life for them, and bring them from birth to maturity, or we will be party to the thwarting of the plans and purposes of God for this generation of children.

When is this sin addressed?

How is it that this sin is missed out? I have never heard a sermon with an altar call for people to repent of it. I have never heard of people receiving ministry because of a dismissive attitude to children. We pass it by.

If you knew someone who was committing adultery you might make it a matter of prayer. If you had a Christian friend who had a habit of lying you might look for them to receive ministry. But how often do we minister to people who have a problem with their attitude to children? How often do we hear people cry out before God, “Change me, I need Your heart for Your little ones?”

From hidden sin to holiness

It is a sin that is hidden, avoided, and needs confronting and recognizing. We have learned to live with this sin and to even see these attitudes as “normal.” I believe Jesus wants to bring healing and wholeness to the heart of every believer.

Daphne Kirk and her children, Andrew and Daniella, have traveled internationally for over 12 years, taking the vision of “Reconnecting the generations and releasing them to have an uncompromising passion for Jesus with a heart for mission and evangelism.” They speak at pastors and leaders conferences and help to mobilize this emerging generation “for such a time as this” and were recently in Singapore to speak at GoForth 2011. Check out their ministry, Generation 2 generation at www.gnation2gnation.com.

This past year, I have purposefully observed thousands of leaders do their thing, as I travel the road and speak in schools, companies, and other organizations. I have drawn several conclusions – and some have proven to be helpful, fresh insights for me. Let me toss one of them to you here:

Your motivation for leading, will determine your…

Duration – If your motive for leading is good, it will impact how long you last.
Donation – If your motive is good, it will increase the value you add to the team.
Decisions – If your motive is good, it will enhance your wisdom and objectivity.
Direction – If your motive is good, it will determine your style and approach.

In other words – why you do something will ultimately determine what you do as a leader. Let me illustrate with the following popular styles of leadership, and suggest how motivation fits into the style and decisions of each type of leader.

Commanders

You know these people. They lead with a top-down style. Their behavior is marked by one way communication. They download only. It is one person leveraging their power over the team. They may have begun their leadership journey in a different style, but as they aged or grew impatient with people, they got short and migrated to a “just do what I want you to do” style. It is an approach that is more about telling than asking. It is about demanding and requiring. You do not have to be a psychologist to see that this leader’s motives are distorted. They now operate from a desire for power. The goal of the commander is to enforce their rules and authority. They want CONTROL.

Kings

Kings represent a slightly different style of leader. Their behavior is marked by a drive to maintain stability. Why? Because stability is the best way to remain king. They have a growing love for tradition; they have a vested interest in keeping things the way they have been in the past. It is as though once these leaders got their position, their entire goal is to keep their position. These leaders are about managing order. They want order. They are not necessarily bad people, but they are likely going to be bad leaders in this ever changing world we live in. They are compromisers. They would not take risks unless the risk is about helping to maintain and manage what already is. The goal of the monarchy is to enrich the king; to keep him in power. They want COMPLIANCE.

Celebrities

Celebrities are a third type of leadership style. Their behavior is marked by the pursuit of perks and popularity. If you watch them closely, you will notice a keen desire for applause and affirmation. Like the styles above, they are not necessarily bad people, but this motivation for recognition not only diminishes their ability to lead well, it clouds their ability to make good decisions. Their perspective is colored by their own needs. They are the proverbial “YouTube” video makers who want to post videos to see how many people watch them. They love accumulating friends in a Facebook group. Because this is their motive, they want peace between all parties. They want folks to get along, be happy, and look to them for entertainment and fulfillment. They love the fame that comes with their position. They love the attention it affords them. The celebrity performer wants CREDIT.

So What Can We Do?

Although each of these styles are common, they represent unhealthy leadership. Perhaps each of us struggles with one of them, but today’s leader must emerge out of these ineffective styles, especially if we want to lead the next generation. I do not know of any young person today who is looking for a leader who is a “commander” or a “king” or a “celebrity.” Students can sense that motives are wrong and that progress and purpose are diminished because of the leader.

So, what can we do to change? What is the change we need to make? How should we target our leadership so it is relevant and healthy for a new generation who looks for good leadership? Let me suggest a fourth style below that most young people I know are looking for in a leader.

Connectors

If leaders will shift their motives away from themselves and their own needs, they will find their style will shift as well. I call the new kind of leader whom students are looking for today, a “connector.” The connector is healthy and does not need the team to affirm their value. It is not about them. Instead, it is about connecting the players on the team in four ways:

1. The leader connects team members to a “cause.”
2. The leader connects team members to other people on the team.
3. The leader connects team members to their strengths.
4. The leader connects team members to the leader relationally.

This is not to say the connecter fails to run point. They are definitely responsible for the outcomes. But they know it is a team effort, and their job is to maximize the potential of each team member. This means they understand they lead in an “upload” culture, not merely a “download” one, which only allows the leader to have a say. This leader helps others flourish. Their goal is to turn potential into performance, regardless of who gets the credit. It means the leader recognizes the value of relationships between team members, not just their relationship to their team members. It means they share the power. The columns below summarize the shift from yesterday’s leader to today’s:

This kind of leader is described in detail in Habitudes—Images That Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes, Book Four (The Art of Changing Culture). In it, I talk about the leader who connects team members in order to nurture a healthy culture.

So, what is your motive for leading? Here is hoping you can move from a commander or king or celebrity to a connector…for the sake of the cause and for your sake as well.

Copyright by Tim Elmore 2011. This article is posted with the permission of Tim Elmore and Growing Leaders, Inc.

Tim Elmore is the founder and president of Growing Leaders (www.GrowingLeaders.com), a non-profit organization that develops emerging leaders. Since founding Growing Leaders, Elmore has spoken to more than 250,000 students, faculty, and staff on hundreds of campuses across the United States. Elmore has written more than twenty books, including the bestselling Habitudes™: Images that Form Leadership Habits and Attitudes. Elmore lives in Atlanta with his wife, Pam, and his two children, Bethany and Jonathan.

Tim Elmore, speaker at the Eagles Leadership Conference July 2011. Visit www.leadership.com.sg for more details.

The Y Generation hallmark

One distinguishing hallmark of the “Generation Y” young adult is his or her likelihood of switching jobs every other year. As I embark on the seventh year of my professional pilgrimage, I am privileged to have worked in the military, marketplace, and Christian ministry, in Singapore and Shanghai. Hence, I am inclined to associate myself with the ambitious yet fickle minded traits of my generation and our increasingly challenging landscape of being an active marketplace evangelist.

It is neither simple nor straightforward to shine for Jesus as a young adult in a progressively dark world. That said, I hope that my experiences and observations will encourage you to persevere as an ambassador of truth; I offer my thoughts on the intrinsic issues of having pride, maintaining integrity, leaving a legacy in the workplace, and how that may be linked to winning souls for Jesus.

My definition of “Marketplace Evangelism?” The intentional effort of ensuring that colleagues and business associates recognize your Christian faith and lifestyle through your choice of words, work attitude, and what fills your calendar after office hours. You should also deliberately and regularly attempt to minister the Gospel of Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit during God appointed opportunities – the results are up to God but the effort is down to us.

Dealing with the evergreen issues of pride

You cannot escape it – how you deal with pride kicks off your first foray into the battlefield as a Christian in the marketplace. In my initial weeks in Shanghai, I adorned what my boss candidly referred to as, “The Typical Singaporean Mentality,” where I actually believed in my superiority over my Chinese counterparts.

I have repented, of course, but I remember feeling severely humbled when my supposedly inferior Administrative Manager demonstrated, with ease, how to negotiate both complicated Chinese laws and cunning Chinese businessmen with shrewdness; only then did I appreciate our vast differences and his vast experience. It was a sobering realization.

Regardless of positions or paychecks, we must carry in our suitcases an attitude to learn – from subordinates, peers, and superiors. After all, what do we have to lose except our repulsive and often obstructive pride? Observe what 1 Peter 5:5-6 (The Message) instructs, “…And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other… So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs.”

Displaying visible integrity in invisible places

I spent 21 months as a Marketing Manager in the alcoholic beverage industry in Shanghai. Sometimes, I had to accompany my boss to entertain clients at bars and nightclubs. In a (literally) dark place fraught with affordable sleaze, it becomes easy to forsake your Christian values, especially so if you are a visually stimulated, testosterone filled man. I recall a conversation with the twenty year old girl who was paid to host me – smack in the middle of our superficial chatter, I asked her, point blank, “Why are you doing this?” Rather than taking her home that night, I sincerely hope that she took home my probing question instead.

Temptation is real and it charges at us with alarming regularity. We must be aware of the different types of temptations in our various arenas of work. Fight the temptation of sluggishness and haphazard work; fight the temptation to abuse the privileges of position; fight the temptation of excessive occupational indulgences (like alcoholism); fight the temptation of a secret and decadent overseas lifestyle or when no one is observing.

Leaving behind a legacy of authenticity

Be true to yourself and stick to your convictions – pretending to be a good testimony is short lived and strenuous. I believe that it is acceptable to mess up occasionally or have fragments of bad attitude in the beginning; it is how you repent and recover from your mistakes that truly matter. I am persuaded that a non believer would find it more refreshing to see an imperfect believer making blunders and bettering himself from it.

A former Singapore Armed Forces colleague commended me for heading into full time ministry because it was something I had told them I would do eventually. And when he learnt that I am ministering in a church now, he spoke of the respect he had for me.

Let us not measure our successes by material achievements nor prestigious positions but by the unique footprints we leave behind. We must remember that our testimony is not what others think of us but what they think about Christ in us. I quote Steve Green in his timeless song, “May the footprints that we leave lead them to believe and the lives we live inspire them to obey. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.”

Getting the Church involved

The Church must teach her youths and young adults how to remain relevant instead of teaching them to be perfect religious snobs. What does it mean to be in the world but not of this world when sometimes their behavior and demeanor suggest that Christians are sometimes out of this world?

It is imperative for the Church to impart a humble spirit and a non judgmental attitude if she wants her people to reach the lost in their world. Believers must learn to write their own testimonies and be equipped to share it anytime and anywhere; they must also know when and how to step out of their comfort zone and to bring comfort to a society that is hurt, confused, and searching for more.

I have discovered that being available and meeting felt needs are the most effective ways of marketplace evangelism; and usually these two work in tandem – you should be available for them whenever they have needs. I encourage my young people to be sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit whenever they converse with people, so that they are able to recognize when they should transit from a worldly dialogue into a spiritual conversation.

How would you describe yourself as a professional?

You should ask God for a personalized vision statement to anchor you at the marketplace!

Midway through my stint in Shanghai, my company instructed us to update our personal particulars and there was a field that read “Briefly describe yourself.” I struggled to describe myself without using John 15:5 or my life motto that was derived from it. Anything that was religious in nature would be irrelevant to my organization. I remember staring at the monitor with complete blankness. So I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to inspire me.

Thirty minutes later, in one fell swoop, I penned a statement that would foreshadow the testimony that I would eventually leave behind: “I am a Bible believing Christian who desires to know God more by working excellently, learning earnestly while pursuing a God pleasing balanced lifestyle for the glory of God!”

Joey Asher Tan is a 27 year old Youth Minister with Grace Assembly of God Church, Singapore. He answered God’s call by heading into full time ministry in October 2009 and pastors 120 young people in the Grace Assembly of God (Bukit Batok) youth community.

“Where are Singaporeans in their 20s and 30s?” Most pastors I have talked to are asking this question. A Senior Pastor of one large and vibrant church said to me recently, “We do not really know how to cater to the 30s in our church as they are so uncommitted. Will you help us?” This group runs the risk of being left out, unreached, untouched, and uninvolved. Establishing a career, starting a young family, acquiring a home, etc., seem to occupy their time and energy at this critical juncture of their lives. True, this happens for every generation but the present generation of young adults seems to have even more overwhelming pressure and stress to make it in life.”

As a (still young) 30 something Christian, it made me wonder if my peers and I are indeed uncommitted where ministry is concerned. Are we just a bunch of young individuals who simply want to live our own self centered lives while still professing our love for God in Church?

It would be trite to say that just as there are many God fearing young men and women who remain committed to serving the Lord, there are just as many who have stopped serving him or even left the church altogether. I can understand the concern of church leaders but finger pointing is a futile exercise because everyone makes his own choices in life. Church leaders would do better to understand this generation and perhaps rethink their own perception of what it means to serve in the Christian ministry. There is a need to first understand why we serve and what we want to do for God in our short time on earth rather than just showing up and clocking in the hours of service. With that, I have just three thoughts to share.

Our Primary Call Is To Serve Him

First, serving God is both a calling from Him as well as the way in which we receive His blessings. As Rick Warren so beautifully put it in his acclaimed book The Purpose Driven Life, we were made to serve God. Indeed, I can do no better than to quote from his book:

“You were put on earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources – to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. While many bestselling books offer advice on how to ‘get’ the most out of life, that’s not the reason God made you. You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it.”

People of my generation generally aim to get the most out of life for ourselves. Honestly, it can be really hard to resist this culture that is about “me, myself, and I.” We want the best paying jobs, eat at the best restaurants or obtain the latest mobile device. Nothing wrong with these things per se, but like the Dead Sea that continually takes in without giving out, we risk being so bloated that our inner man dies over time. If we can learn to be like the Sea of Galilee that takes in water and gives it out, we can always remain fresh and relevant to others. We can be both blessed as well as be a blessing.

A few years after I started work, life felt a bit dreary and meaningless. Everything was fine on the surface. I attended church. I had a decent job. But I knew that there was more to life than this. I felt God’s call to serve him as I did before I started work. So for the past two and a half years, I have been spending my Saturday afternoons with the Royal Rangers ministry: a ministry for children where we teach them the Bible and bring them out for adventure activities. Twice a year we organize camps.

I cannot honestly say that all has been fine and dandy because there are times when I do not feel like serving. At times I feel tired. Other times, I wonder if the ministry is even worth the effort – if you have ever taught a class of young boys and girls 10-14, you will know how difficult it can be to get their attention! But God has been good and to my surprise, I do feel very blessed serving Him in this ministry He has called me to. I often feel I learn a lot when I teach the Bible. And, somehow, life feels more purposeful when you learn to give to others as well. You have got to get involved to know it because no words can express the satisfaction of seeing someone come away blessed from your ministry.

Serve In The Areas Where God Has Called You

This leads me to my second point: Young people are no longer willing to confine their ministry to the four walls of the church. We want to serve in areas that we enjoy and where we feel led to serve. In my view, wherever lives are touched for the glory of God, that is the Christian ministry. I am not embarrassed to say that for now I do not actively serve in any particular ministry in my home church because I do not feel any desire to serve there. Instead I channel my energies into serving the Lord in the Royal Rangers ministry and on the Eagles VantagePoint editorial team!
The editorial team meets bi-monthly to discuss new ideas for the magazine. Occasionally, I will write articles for them when requested. This role fits me well because I love to write and I love to discuss ideas. Come visit us at one of our monthly editorial meetings and you will know what I am talking about! God has created us with particular gifts and interests that were not meant primarily for our secular work. He has endowed us with these gifts and interests to bless the body of Christ. So do not waste your time on activities you do not enjoy. There are many ministries out there where you can make a real difference and still have a good time.

Do Not Get Burnt Out

Finally, manage your ministry load. It is futile pushing ourselves to the point of burnout in the name of serving God. A tired and frustrated man is of no use to God. I have seen many who quit the ministry and even backslide altogether because they had been pushed to the point of exhaustion. Even as we recognize the importance of serving Him, to love Him takes on a far greater significance. I would choose to be like Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus listening to Him than to be like Martha who was so busy trying to serve the needs of Jesus that she completely ignored Him.

To conclude, I actually have good reason to feel confident about my generation. In the Singapore National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)’s Individual Giving Survey 2010, it found that among Singaporean citizens and permanent residents within the age group of 25-34, the percentage of volunteers rose from 13% in 2008 to 21% in 2010. Many of these volunteers are serving the needs of society outside the Church. We are not as selfish as we are made out to be. Perhaps what is needed is a rethink of our definition of the Christian ministry to expand it beyond the boundaries of the church. In the movie Spiderman, young Peter Parker accepted that “with great power comes great responsibility.” May my generation recognize that with great blessings from the Lord comes great responsibility too.

Kevin Yong is a member of our editorial team. Kevin loves writing, watching movies, hanging out with friends, and reading all kinds of books, especially non-fiction.