Tag: family

The Anxious Generation: Unveiling the Impact of Smartphones and Social Media

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn Book Reviews2 Comments

What makes a book good? Good books fill gaps in knowledge, whether it be our own or society’s at large. Good books serve as a key to unlock the mystery of something that happened in history or is presently occurring in the world. There’s something satisfying about reading and thinking, “so that’s what’s happening.” But good books must also compel and prescribe action. No one wants a book full of statistics and trends that offers no advice on what to do with them. Perhaps such books are necessary, but they don’t fit my definition of a good book.

Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation is a good book. It fills a gap in society’s knowledge by answering the question of what’s causing the rapid increase of mental illness among Gen Z. It also solves the mystery of how smart phones and social media are changing childhood and affecting our mental health. And it offers compelling calls to action to parents, schools, governments, and tech companies. It is an excellent book.

In The Anxious Generation, Haidt argues that “the great rewiring” of childhood is causing the current epidemic of mental illness among Generation Z (those born after 1997). This rewiring consists primarily of the the transition from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood that took place in the early 2010s.

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The Fear of God and the Blessing of Family

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

This will be a short post, but I want to give it a permanent place on my blog. One of the unexpected blessings I continue to receive as a pastor is the privilege of attending funerals of saints who have finished the race well. I have already been to one such funeral this week and will attend one more this weekend. These funerals remind me of what is important in life, namely faith and family (including both blood-relatives and church family).

At the funeral for Mr. Roy Ellis, a member of our church for over six decades who had five children, ten grandchildren, and seventeen great grandchildren, Psalm 128:1-4 was read:

“ Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,

who walks in his ways!

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;

    you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

    within your house;

your children will be like olive shoots

    around your table.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed

    who fears the Lord.”

Here’s what struck me as this verse was read in honor of this faithful husband, father, grandparent, and church member: God’s blessing for fearing Him is described in the context of the family. In other words, God desires to bless the man who walks in His ways, and one of His greatest blessings in life is family and enjoying God’s blessings with them. This blessing entails enjoying the fruits of one’s labor (v.2), but not for one’s self, but with his family- a fruitful wife and many children (v. 3). “Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.”

This, I believe, is the lesson, especially to men: don’t overlook the blessing of family. Don’t overlook the blessing of a wife. Don’t overlook the blessing of children. Rejoice in them, and praise God for them. THEY are His blessings to you. Be encouraged by this, and labor all the more to fear the Lord and walk with Him so that you may share the fruit of that labor with them!

John 3 – “You Must Be Born Again”

On By Jarrett Ray FletcherIn MiscellaneousLeave a comment

Jesus was very clear about the change that must take place in order to become one of his own and see the kingdom of God.

“You must be born again” John 3:7

Must I go to church? No, you must be born again. Must I pray a certain prayer? No, you must be born again. Must I give to the poor? No, you must be born again. Must I be baptized? No, you must be born again. Must I follow the law? No, you must be born again. Must I teach Sunday school or sing in the choir? No, you must be born again!

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” John 3:3

One of my spiritual heroes, C.H. Spurgeon, illustrated this truth this way (in my own paraphrase):

Suppose that in England, there should be a law passed that admission to courts, preference to office, and any privileges in the nation were only given to the natural born citizens of the country. What then, would court officials say if an native Indian man came to them and said, “I will change my name” or “I will change my dress” or “I will change my family, my friends,” or “I will learn the language” or “I will work for it!” You see none of these things could admit the man, for the law is absolute, the man must be an natural born citizen to obtain the privileges, and he is not.

This illustration also correlates with us as Christians. We cannot change our names (call ourselves Christians), change the way we dress, change our friends, change our behavior, learn to talk like Christians, learn to pray like Christians, give away our money, help the poor, or do any type of Christian service. For God’s statement is clear: “You must be born again.”

This new birth is a sweeping process which is more than a change, it is a creation. Not just reformation, but regeneration. Not just becoming religious, but being born. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefor, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; Behold, the new has come.”

Do you exhibit a different life than you did before? Do you now hate the very things you used to love? Have your desires changed? Do you have a hunger for reading and understanding God’s Word? Do you desire to be around other believers? Can you persist in sin? What is your attitude towards sin- are you brokenhearted over it? or are you still indifferent to it? To whom have you entrusted your whole life to?

We cannot bring about these changes ourselves, nor make ourselves “born again.” We are only born again of the Spirit, the power of God. Salvation is a magnificent work where a soul is saved and made completely new. Ultimately, Jesus is the only one who can bring about this new creation in us.

It is imperative to understand that he brings about this change. “Behold” says Christ, “I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Dear friend, you must be made new; you must be born again! I paraphrase Mr. Spurgeon again, “Christ can make you really pure in heart; he can make you a new creature, so that you shall be converted and become as a little child. “Oh!” say you, “how can I get it? How can I prepare myself for him?” You do not want to prepare yourself for him. Go to him just as you are; trust him to do it, and he will do it. That is faith, you know–trust, dependence. Can you believe that Christ can save you? Oh! you can believe that; well now, will you trust him to save you? Will you trust him to deliver you from your drunkenness, from your angry temper, your pride, your love of self, your lusts? Do you desire to be a new creature in Christ Jesus? If so, that very desire must have come from heaven. I could fain hope that he has already begun the good work in you, and he that begins it will carry it on.”

“”Oh! make me a new creature!” If you have said that from your heart, you are a new creature, dear brother, and we will rejoice together in this regenerating Savior.” (Spurgeon, A New Creation, published July 15, 1915.)