Millennials are deeply troubled over their purpose and direction in life. That's what a new survey from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has found.
In a recent survey titled "Millennials Establish Their Need for Purpose and Lifestyle Changes," Arizona Christian University researchers found that the age group of 18 to 36, or those considered millennials, were the generation who were most likely to question their place in life.
About 22% of surveyed millennials believe that life is sacred, but 50% of them believe that "life is what you make it; there is no absolute value associated with human life." About 32% of those from older generations believed the same.
According to the Christian Headlines, the survey, which was conducted online in August and used a national sample of 600 millennials, all born between 1984 to 2002, showed how millennials were only "moderately satisfied in most areas of life." These included their personal health, career, relationships, finances, spiritual life, and the nation. 66% of surveyed millennials admitted to being "satisfied," with a smaller portion accounting for 29% saying they were "very satisfied." More than one-third or 37% said they were "somewhat satisfied." Meanwhile, 20% of survey respondents said they were "not too satisfied," while 11% said they were "unsatisfied."
When it came to the idea of life improvements, a majority amounting to 37% said they wanted to improve their financial situation, 17% said they are looking for a better-paying job, and 15% hoped for less debt to pay. Only 5% said their life was going great without the need for any major changes.
In terms of relationships, about 28% of millennials said they wanted deeper friendships, while 10% hoped for a better relationship with their spouse or partner. Meanwhile, 13% wished for lesser discrimination based on one's race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. Of the same group, 12% said they desired "inclusion in communities that know, appreciate and respect them for who they are."
In terms of their spiritual lives, only 14% of millennials said they wanted to have a better relationship with god. Survey author Dr. George Barna remarked that many millennials today could not find purpose in life because they have self-centered worldviews.
Dr. Barna, who also recently led a study on how 30% of millennials who view Jesus and the Bible favorably identified as LGBT, explained that "Millennials have largely bought into worldviews that teach 'life is about me.'"
"Life is not about us, and purpose is not buried within us," the veteran researcher explained. "Life is about knowing, loving and serving a gracious, mighty, forgiving and supportive Creator."
Dr. Barna remarked that "God alone determines our purpose in life-the purpose for which He created and gifted each of us, and the life to which He calls us." He explained that people find meaning in life when they relate to and serve God, adding that "Anything less is bound to result in frustration and despair."
Dr. Barna insisted that God should be "at the center of our life" because this is key in embracing the "genuine purpose and meaning" of life.
