Born to Serve

TODAY’S WORLD IS FULL OF ILLUSIONS. It is the world of smiley faces. Everyone is connected. Everyone is smiling, everyone is sharing their “happy” moments on popular social media sites. We see the pics, we hear the comments, enjoy the witticisms, the jokes and the cartoons, the sharing of news and the novel ability to have our voices heard in ways which were not even conceived of just a decade ago. There is so much information out there, we can google almost anything and find out “all about it”. It might seem that we live in a utopian world! But of course, we know that beneath the surface of the social revolution life is more complicated and scary than ever. In spite of being so connected, many people feel lost and lonely. Fear is commonplace even in relatively safe societies. People are unsure of themselves and strive to find meaning in their lives. The threat of war is constant, and any war can become global in an instant. We have lost our faith in our governments. World “leaders” are not qualified to lead; they have not the ability, the wisdom nor the inclination to protect future generations. For the vast majority, their motivation is only hunger for popularity, power and prestige. Our planet has no guardians!!! Domestic crisis On the home front, families are falling apart, relationships are often shallow and fleeting. We are continually faced with threats to our physical and emotional health and wellbeing. The daily news is so coloured that it’s virtually impossible to separate fact from fiction or wishful thinking. Life has become the quintessential labyrinth. And yet, it is the human condition to live, love and procreate. Children coming into the world today may have better odds at surviving childhood, but many are growing up without roots and without purpose. They don’t know where they came from, why they are here and where they are going. Parents are at a loss when it comes to childcare, discipline and direction. Teachers resolutely continue to teach “curriculum” to children who are increasingly alienated, disenchanted and apathetic. Is what they learn in school truly relevant to the lives they are going to lead? No-one can answer that question. Nevertheless, it is common practice for parents and teachers push children to compete aggressively against their peers in school. It is not uncommon for a child’s entire childhood to revolve around the competitive, surreal environment of the classroom or sportsground rather than around family and friends. Many children firmly believe that if they are not “first” or “best” at something, they are failing. Yet school administrations all over the world continue to create policies designed to push their school into the limelight for producing the highest achievers. Meanwhile, growing numbers of children are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and motivate. Childhood dysfunction is almost pandemic. Parents, teachers, therapists and doctors can’t keep up! There is plenty of “help” freely available but most of it is conflicting or simply doesn’t work in practice. It is becoming an enormous challenge to promote the healthy development of children in this ever-changing and impossibly complicated world. Our children are not becoming more self-assured, more confident or more mentally, spiritually and emotionally balanced and fulfilled. Professional crisis More than a third of all children in the “developed” world between the ages of 8 and adult experience significant feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt, and this is seen as normal! In the United States, one in 8 children is medicated for some form of mental or emotional dysfunction and countless more are referred for therapy or counselling on a regular basis. The therapists these children visit weekly or monthly are themselves “fishing around in the dark”. Teachers burn out more quickly than any other group of professionals. One in three quits teaching within 3 years of beginning their career, despite the fact that they train as teachers because they love children and want to help them! Most “behaviour management programmes” don’t work. They barely suffice for easy, compliant children and backfire when used with challenging children. Parents, teachers and therapists – in desperation – just keep following guidelines “harder”, and when they don’t see positive outcomes they unjustly blame themselves. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? There are very many problems, and they are caused by some very popular and disturbing MISCONCEPTIONS. Misconception No 1 The world is doomed to destruction sooner or later, and if there was ever a Creator, He abandoned the world long ago. Mankind must make the most out of a more or less hopeless situation. The FACT Mankind was created to rule over the earth and steward it with wisdom. Man’s failure to do so will not ever cause God to abandon His handiwork. God created the entire universe with precision and with purpose, which will be discussed at length in context. Man is fulfilling his purpose in this world either willingly or against his will.