While most students and adults today seem outwardly happy, happiness is always fleeting. Happiness comes from outside influences and is never lasting. A compliment or gift may bring you happiness, but that happiness will soon fade, leaving an emptiness. Then we must go searching for something to fill the void. Therefore, searching for happiness is a continuous process. Searching for happiness can bring disappointment and loneliness.
Recent studies have revealed an increasing health crisis, especially in Generation Z (GenZ born 1997-2012). Partly due to technology and instant gratification coupled with an ingrained belief that individualism is the highest certainty (authority) strips people of many needed, well-balanced mental processes. Individualism leads to loneliness.
“Gen Zers have been raised in an age in which speed and convenience rule the day.” Not only GenZ, but many of all our generations today expect instantaneous delivery of every aspect of life, our food, shopping experiences, music, even our healthcare. In the past the attention span of young children was estimated at one minute for every year of age, a five year old can only focus on any one thing for five minutes.
With the speed and convenience of today’s technology, studies show Gen Zers (13-28 yr old) average attention span is eight seconds. Television, the internet, and other venues have designed programming that has shortened attention spans of all age groups. Short attention spans demands more choices, more options, more, more, more, which leads to loneliness.
We know loneliness leads to depression and unnecessary angst. We do not need more studies revealing what we can see all around us everyday, lonely people, more and more on anti-depressants and other drugs. What we as the church need is to help move people from the endless chase for happiness to the pursuit of true Joy.
While happiness stems from outside circumstances, true joy comes only from God. God’s Joy, the only true lasting joy comes from within, a God-given attribute that fulfills and sustains even in times of struggle. His Joy is not fleeting and will never fade.
Joy comes from God, and it comes through us turning loose of self-desires to serving others without expectation of reciprocity (nothing in return). As the church, the people of God, we must practice and lead others in practicing Joy. Practicing our God-given Joy requires practicing humility, and a gratefulness for this moment we have been given to live in today.
While we are each created as a unique individual, individualism that says I am the highest authority, places a person and a society on a direct collision course with the God of the universe. It is detrimental to an individual and to society. We the church, God’s people, have an understanding of the answer. Will we, will you as an individual, choose practicing God’s gift of Joy by serving and helping others with no expectation of getting anything in return? How will you commit to teaching and leading others to do the same?
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.