We received news from the jungles of Borneo. The Cessna 185 lacked necessary paperwork to comply with recent Indonesian military security measures, so the river-system will be the way back interior for our sister and parents. But the latest bureaucracy in Indonesian "security" works out for the good in this situation. For our correspondent there, It mean taking a series of boat rides further and further into Borneo, as far as the existing "express" route will take them. Then they will have to wait for a boat from their tribe to take them home. This is just the sort of adventure one would desire, after a desk job in an American office. Only our correspondent's feet were complaining. Winter stockings and fancy office carpeting do nothing for toughening up the feet, but the sun, rocks and jungle paths will quickly make up for that. Hopefully those feet will toughen up quickly, so that our sister can explore and enjoy the jungle fully.
This may be a bit of a stretch, but it reminds me of our society and of our individual lives. Our society is seeing a general "weakening", mentally, physically and emotionally. Mentally, we are expecting the media to entertain us, lest we be unfairly forced to think for ourselves. Physically, well, 60% of the adult population in this country is overweight. Emotionally, we are whining about stress at work and are unwilling to give up personal "rights to happiness" when a marriage is at stake. (I'm speaking in general terms of the popular culture prevalent in today's young people; there are many tremendous individuals in this country who endure hardships that I am not fit to even write about.)
As a result of our poor mental, physical and emotional stamina, we are not going to be enjoying and exploring our life's potential as fully as we could, if we were willing to toughen up.
One symptom (and cause) of this weakening is that we don't want to work anymore. The other day in the gym I overheard a young college student whine incessantly on her cell phone about having to go to work that afternoon. It struck me how ungrateful our younger generation is for our work, and how we regard it as a gross injustice whenever it is less than comfortable, while others around the world dream of having such a life of ease: time to go to the gym, time and money to go to college, a job at a cozy coffee shop, and 1200+ stores to blow the easy-earned money on.
Ah, America. Everything has to be comfortable and custom-made to fit your preferences. This is both the strength and the Achilles' heel of this nation.
We're seeing a similar down-turn in a work ethic since years in urban Europe as well: shorter work weeks, more paid vacations, etc. etc. Where is the incentive to work? Where is the honor of a work rewarded? I, being European, must say I don't see a healthy future for Europe. What I see is an ever increasingly obese European youth, following the American model of "more" is better.
Somehow we need to start valuing challenges and suffering again. Only once we're strengthened by them can we be more useful to others, whether physically, mentally or emotionally.
Sadly, popular culture is not alone in where it is headed. The Western Christian church is usually only 2 steps behind the rest of the world in its passions and inclinations. And so we rightly earn the accusation of "hypocrites."
John Piper pointed at our church-going young generation in one of his messages and said :
So I ask all of you now: are you going to throw your life away with the rest of the world by striving to minimize your suffering and maximize your comforts in this life? Are you going to work for the bread that perishes? Build bigger barns? Lay up treasures on earth? Strive for the praise of man?
Or will you see in Christ crucified and risen, bearing the sins of his people—will you see in this God-Man the all-satisfying treasure of your life? Will you say with Paul, “To live is Christ and to die is gain . . . I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”?
If your generation buys into the American mindset of preserving comfort and safety and security and ease, you will be passed over, and God will get his work done another way. And over your generation—as over much of mine—will be written “Fool! Whose will these things be?” And the tragic word: “Wasted!”
For those who value God's hand in our lives, ponder 2 Corinthians 12:9-10:
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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