Recently I was listening to a pastor giving a sermon, and he mentioned how people refer to the latest generation, Generation Alpha, as hopeless. He didn't continue on about this specific topic, but my mind did. As I pondered the claims on Generation Alpha, I could see why so many people are in agreement. After all, they were preceded by the Millennials and Generation Z. These generations appear to be confused, hateful, angry, clueless to their own identity, and a whole slew of other traits. Still, my mind asks, "is Generation Alpha really hopeless?"
If they really are hopeless, it would be because their hopelessness stems from the hopeless nature of previous generations...including mine and yours. in Matthew 5:14 Jesus calls us "The light of the world." Then in Matthew 5:16 we are told to let our "Light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Jesus says in Matthew 5:13 Jesus calls us the "Salt of the earth". Do you know what salt did during the time of Jesus' ministry? It added flavor to food, it was medicinal, it preserved food, disinfectant, and even a unit of trade. Flavor = joy, medicinal = healing, preserve = health/peace, disinfect = purification, and unit of trade = value. We are to represent the joy, healing peace, purification, and value of the world found in Christ Jesus alone. in other words, we should represent hope.
If we claim to believe in Jesus Christ, if he indeed is our savior, and if we have accepted the gift of everlasting life that comes through Him alone; then we must understand that we are to be the hope of the world. I will be the first one to agree this world is full of crazy wickedness on many levels, but we are the light and the salt. This means we are their hope. We shouldn't wait for a government program, a local outreach, or philanthropist to bring hope to those who do not have it. They should be receiving it from you and I every day.
We should be the hope in the dessert, on the street corner, in highways and byways to serve the next generation while leading them to Christ. Therefore, they are not hopeless unless you are hopeless. If they are hopeless, then we must consider the condition of our own hearts. Who's really hopeless?