Pay Attention to Your Generativity

Scripture — Psalm 71:17-18 (NRSV)

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.

Devotion

If you want to receive, clarify, craft, and live your purpose in life, then pay attention to your generativity.

What is generativity? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “generativity” as “a need to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation.” Generativity could be described as a deep desire to leave a legacy for the future, not just a financial legacy, but a legacy of excellence, example, empowerment, and encouragement.

The significance of generativity was first emphasized by developmental psychologist Erik Erikson. In his earlier writings, he saw generativity as crucial for middle-adulthood, ages 40-65. But as he got older, Erikson recognized that a concern for generativity remains strong beyond age 65. Thus, he wrote in The Life Cycle Completed, “Indeed, old people can and need to maintain a grand-generative function” (p. 64). According to Erikson, if we wish to thrive both in middle age and as we get older, then we must pay attention to our generativity.

The desire to make a difference for the next generations is built into our mental, emotional, and spiritual DNA. It also shows up in Scripture. For example, we read in Psalm 71:17-18:

O God, from my youth you have taught me,

    and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs,

    O God, do not forsake me,

until I proclaim your might

    to all the generations to come.

The psalm writer’s desire to proclaim God’s might “to all the generations to come” is a classic example of generativity.

You may already be in touch with your generativity. If you are a grandparent, for example, you are likely concerned about the future of your grandchild (or grandchildren), and not just their personal future, but also the future of the world in which they will live. You are eager to make a difference in their lives and their world, a difference that will endure long after you are gone.

Many people find ways to invest in younger generations besides what they do with their families. I think, for example, of Mr. Young, who taught seventh-grade Sunday School when I was a boy. With his balding head, gray beard, and booming baritone, he seemed to me like the “ancient of days.” (In reality, he was much younger than I am now!) Mr. Young loved teaching his “men,” something he did for dozens of years with exceptional enthusiasm. But he didn’t just teach on Sundays. He took his “men” on adventures in a converted school bus, camping on secluded beaches, and driving over the dunes (back when that was legal in California).

In tomorrow’s Life for Leaders devotion, I will explore two possible ways for you to express your generativity. For now, let me encourage you to consider where you may already be doing this and what it means to you. The following questions can get you started.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the High Calling archive, hosted by the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Hope and Praise.