It is ‘harder to be young’, said Professor Peter Fonagy who recently headed an independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism for the British government.[1] He has concluded that the popular idea that today’s youth are a ‘snowflake generation’ is wrong and that, in fact, the rise in mental health problems among young people has been a reality since the 1990s. One in four 16- to 24-year-olds is struggling.
It is generally acknowledged that the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, social media, economic uncertainty, increased loneliness and doubt about the future all contribute to poor mental health. The world that today’s young people face looks very much more confusing than it did for previous generations.
But there is another angle to this story that the mainstream media has not touched on, something that a blogger on LinkedIn highlighted when she posted last year:[2]
A young man—just 19—said to me the other day, “I’m struggling to find the point.”
“The point in what?” I asked.
“The point of life. It just seems so depressing and so hard all the time. I don’t see the point in it. I don’t feel excited about anything. I don’t have passion. I don’t have meaning. I don’t have purpose. And I don’t feel like I’ve ever experienced any of those emotions.”
Perhaps this ‘lack of purpose’ and seeming ‘pointlessness’ is another factor that the younger population must contend with.
Jesus Christ said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).
Whatever you think of the message, you have to agree: a valid objective, with a satisfying future in prospect, automatically gives meaning to life.
For Bible believers, their goal is that the Kingdom of God will be established on this earth, ruled by Jesus Christ when he returns from heaven (Acts 1:11). With this hope, each day can have positivity and meaning.
Where some might worry that an AI or nuclear attack will annihilate humankind, the follower of Christ understands that God created the earth for a reason and will not allow it to be damaged beyond repair (Isaiah 45:18). They know that God’s intention is for the world’s inhabitants to exhibit those same characteristics that He Himself has; to be peace-loving and selfless (Exodus 34:6-7; Habakkuk 2:14), and, in His future kingdom, to be free from pain and sorrow (Revelation 21:4). They feel assured that the people of this future world will enjoy a limitless and calm existence (Micah 4:4; John 10:28).
Any fears that powerful dictators or malign governments might destroy the world are removed for a believer, by the assurance that the coming Kingdom of God will be ruled by a righteous judge from Jerusalem (Luke 1:32-33, Revelation 11:15). Those perennial challenges that keep today’s world leaders awake at night (such as climate change, the drug epidemic and the refugee crisis) will, in God’s Kingdom, get their answers from one who is without dogma, prejudice or nationalistic ambitions (Micah 4:1-3).
The moral uncertainties that perplex the current generation are removed for those with a vision of the coming Kingdom: for them the supremacy of God comes first, then good will to neighbour. Self comes last, so that bullying, greed and deceit will no longer be issues. In a God-governed world, the current trend of self-celebration gives way to a quiet humility.
All very good, I hear you say, but will knowing this make me any less depressed? Well, it may not directly, but perspective is a fine thing. Undoubtedly, the Bible tells of many faithful people who suffered depression (such as King David in Psalm 13:2; Elijah in 1 Kings 19:4; Job in 11:16, and Jeremiah in 20:14-18, who all experienced despair and hopelessness). Clearly, depression cannot be linked to a person’s lack of faith. What we can say, though, is that those with the hope of God’s coming Kingdom view their existence in the context of God’s ultimate purpose (Numbers 14:21), of life for ever (Daniel 12:2-3). They also have the comforting assurance that the Almighty understands their concerns (2 Chronicles 16:9; 1 Peter 5:7). So, while faith does not necessarily remove the painful side of life, an understanding of God’s plan for His earth can moderate the impact of those sharp arrows of despair and despondence. We are all limited by our present mortality (and the negatives that come with it), but the prospect of living eternally in God’s Kingdom is a goal worth striving for; it’s a perspective that can give personal peace and a reason to live life purposefully now.
Joan Lewis
Learn more about God’s coming Kingdom at www.gladtidingsmagazine.org