Mindy is an extremely talented, post high school young woman. She struggled to fit in when she was in middle school, dealing with weight and appearance issues. In high school she found her place and grew in confidence and security in her identity. She was successful in the arts and found a niche where she could be herself. She attended and was active in her church. At the end of her high school life, a couple of things happened in her personal life that shook her perspective on herself, her value, and her understanding of God. She spent the next two years riding emotional and relational waves, but what surprised her was that without God her life did not crash and burn. She would admit that she felt something was missing and she wasn’t living completely free, but her life was not in the gutter without God. She recently has found happiness and sparks of purpose as she pursues her artistic passion. She is hopeful that this next relationship will be a long lasting one, that this opportunity to develop and share her artistic gift set will give her direction, and that she will continue to experience freedom to be herself. When asked if she feels she is living life to the fullest, she answers, I guess so – I’m not even sure what that means, but I think I’m doing pretty good right now.
I know a lot of people like Mindy. The millennial generation and the generation that follows it are generations made up of millions of people who are extremely gifted, intelligent, resourced, and for the most part content. These generations are growing up in a culture that is wired and set up to impact the world in ways that haven’t been seen in decades, but many of them find themselves in a situation where “The lights are on, but no one’s home,” as far as them living out their lives to the fullest. Many people find themselves in a place where life is going ok, but the future is unknown because they aren’t sure which way to go and even what is the right or best way to go. These generations are unknowingly living in a purpose and passion wasteland.
I do not believe there is a quick, easy, or simple way out of this wasteland. I believe that it will take years, if not decades to engage, heal, and launch these generations into their “promise land.” I believe that we can be part of the shift, but we will need to admit where we are at, be willing to invest in people differently, and for most of us, try a new thing.
Isaiah 43:19
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah in this verse was probably talking to people who were held in captivity in Babylon and had a desire for being free and unleashed, but had started to settle that nothing would change and that they were destined to live a life of a captive. Isaiah was encouraging them that God was making a way, a new way, a new path out of the wilderness. The people probably didn’t see it yet, but the first part of the challenge was to see if they would at least partially believe that a new thing could happen.
I believe Isaiah 43:19 is true for us today, for the millennial generation and the generation that follows it. I believe that God is making a way for these generations to be unleashed, for their lives to be engaged with Him, for their talents to be used to the fullest. It will take work, a willingness on all of our parts.
Start with yourself – What wasteland are you living in? Where do you need to let God show you a new thing in your journey of knowing Him and living your life for Him? What old thing, pattern, comfort that you need to put aside so that God can do a new thing?
The best is yet to come, if we are willing to navigate the wasteland.