The April 14, 2005, edition of USA Today carried a report on religious interest among high school and college students. The survey was taken by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA.
On one hand, students show a hearty interest in spiritual matters: 79 percent say they believe in God, 69 percent say they pray, and 76 percent say they are searching for purpose or meaning. On the other hand, fewer than half reported felling secure in their current views on spiritual and religious matters. Why?
According to researcher Helen Astin, "They are searching for answers to big questions. What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose in life? What will happen to me? How will I leave my mark in this world?"
The article made it clear that most searching students aren't turning to orthodox Christianity for answers. According to the study, "Religion is becoming more individualized. Teens and young adults are teeming with spiritual curiosity, tolerance for religious differences, and willingness to tap multiple sources for wisdom and guidance."
Jesus said, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it ways, ‘I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26).
It's good that youthful seekers are attempting to seep the demon of futility out of their lives. But nature abhors a vacuum. If young hearts are not filled with Jesus Christ who is the real source of life, those searching for meaning elsewhere are vulnerable to bizarre beliefs and harmful addictions that will fail them when tough questions are asked or difficult trouble comes.
It's not surprising that fewer than half the young people surveyed reported feeling secure in their current views on spiritual and religious matters. There is no security in individualized religion that is fashioned for our own convenience. Contradictory counsel only brings added confusion. Those who attempt to build their lives on personal beliefs resemble another house that Jesus told about that was swept away by a ferocious storm because it lacked a solid foundation.
A high school teacher asked her class, "How can we get all the air out of a glass?" Someone suggested sucking it out with an air pump, but the teacher pointed out that the resulting vacuum would shatter the glass. That wouldn't work. After fielding a few other unsatisfactory suggestions, the teacher said, "You're missing the obvious. You're making the question too complex. It's easy to remove all the air from this glass." With that she simply filled the glass with water.
Some young people who are attempting to drive the demon of meaninglessness from their lives are missing the obvious. When Jesus fills our lives with his Spirit, the demons are driven out and life has daily meaning and an eternal direction. This simple solution has been around for 2,000 years. Jesus still saves, fills and satisfies.
He declared, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).
Copyright 2005 by Bob Russell. No material from Bob Russell may be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way, except that you may print or download one copy of the material for your personal, noncommercial home use only, provided that 1) you retain all copyright, trademark and propriety notices, 2) you make no modifications to the materials. For any uses other than this, written permission is required. (Southeast Christian Church; c/o Preaching Office Manager; 920 Blankenbaker Pkwy., Louisville, KY 40243.) Additional books and materials are available through The Living Word Ministry.
