Articles
Life Without Hope
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"But you said, 'There is no hope. No! For I have loved aliens, and after them I will go.'" (Jer. 2:25)
At that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12)
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According to a recent article published by the Foundation for Economic Education, the world is experiencing an alarming rise in mental health issues among children. A doctor who works in an emergency room in England, for example, reports that the number of mental health crises, including suicide attempts, among children he has seen has risen from a couple per week to several per day.
It's not just children whose mental health is declining. A recent Pew research report show that one-third of young adults (ages 18-29) are experiencing high levels of mental distress. Global suicide rates among the general population have risen 60% over the past 45 years.
What's going on?
The prevailing wisdom points to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns as a likely factor. That may be true, but I suspect the pandemic is merely a trigger that has unleashed a torrent of pre-existing anxiety linked to a deeper problem.
What we are witnessing is the collapse of a deeply secular society. Over the last several decades, Western culture in particular has turned its back on God in favor of hedonism, materialism, socialism, and a host of other this-world gods. This prevailing worldview links our well-being to whatever we can experience in the present life; no consideration is given to a life hereafter, or a Supreme Being whose rule transcends the affairs of this world. The result is as predictable as the rising sun: when this life turns ugly and painful, what's left to live for?
A life without God is a life without hope. We can dodge that bullet as long as our circumstances are comfortable and pleasant; but when the party ends, as surely it must, the darkness that greets us is terrifying. Humans were not designed to live in the vacuum of meaninglessness.
Parents, more than ever it is essential that you teach your children about God, about the love of Jesus, about heaven and value of life. Arm them with the hope that no matter how bleak the present may be, a better day is coming. Equip them to be strong in the face of adversity, to know that someday it will all be worth it.
Of course, we can't teach our children these principles if we are not living them ourselves. This world desperately needs people of faith who can display the value of hope.
Let it begin with us.
--David
