#StandUndaunted

By: Kolleen Lucariello

Throughout my teenage years, I remember having conversations with my grandmother about the ever-evolving nature of language. I wanted to help her navigate the changes so she would be aware that some of the words she used no longer carried the same meanings they once did. Even though we shared different perspectives, she always listened with grace.

This week, while visiting our son and his family, Papa mentioned a TV show he enjoyed. Our grandson tilted his head and asked, "What's a TV show?" Apparently, his generation doesn't refer to the shows they stream as "TV shows" anymore.

Later, as I cheered from behind home plate at our grandson’s baseball game, I noticed how timid the boys seemed at bat. Without thinking, I yelled, "You got this! Pull the trigger!" My daughter-in-law whispered, "Maybe not that." Whoops. I hadn’t intended to be offensive—this was a common phrase when our kids played sports.

Thankfully, no one seemed to hold it against me. Maybe they recognized that I am now the grandmother who, at times, needs a language lesson of her own. Of course, there might have been an eye roll or a deep sigh from those who believe I should know better. These moments reminded me of how easily our words are weighed in today's world, and how desperately we all need quick grace, both given and received.

Not long ago, as I scrolled through social media, I felt the Lord drop a word into my heart that seemed to capture the tone of so much of what I was seeing online: daunting. Post after post felt confrontational, like people were tasks to manage or problems to solve. In that moment, I was reminded that God doesn’t see people as daunting tasks. He doesn’t view them as burdens or checklists. He sees every single person as a soul to love. A heart worth redeeming. A life worth restoring. Someone of great value.

He also began to challenge my view of the relationships we have with one another. He asked me to consider what might happen if, rather than viewing the world through a lens of cynicism or exhaustion, we began to observe it with the same love Jesus extended to us—covenantal love. What if, rather than treating one another as options or annoyances we don't understand, we decided to #StandUndaunted in covenant love with one another? Specifically across the generations.

Today, many gaps divide us. One of the most evident is the generation gap, which Merriam-Webster defines as "the differences in opinions, values, etc., between younger people and older people." Perhaps God would ask us to consider our approach to how we see people from other generations. Do we see them as daunting tasks to be tolerated rather than God-given gifts? If so, we’re more likely to feel intimidated or discouraged by the inevitable challenges and disappointments within those relationships. And when that happens, we can slip into treating people contractually—measuring connection by performance, conformity, or convenience—rather than covenantally. Is that what God intended for us? If He wired us for connection, why do we find it so easy to walk away from one another? His covenant love calls us to stay, to love beyond understanding, and to choose grace even when it would be easier to pull away.

We might slip into the belief that someone from another generation "just doesn't get it." And, without even realizing it, we begin to operate under silent cultural contracts—unspoken expectations that shape how we view ourselves and others. If we don’t anchor ourselves to our identity in Christ, we’ll be trapped by these contracts, often turning relationships into burdens to manage rather than gifts to cherish. Covenant love, modeled by Jesus, frees us to approach connection with hope, endurance, and grace. The way of Jesus enables us to choose relationship, even when it's hard to understand the views or opinions of someone outside of our generation.

If you're unsure whether you're operating under a silent contract that imposes your beliefs on others, consider if any of these phrases have ever crossed your mind:

• "You’re too young."

• "You don’t have enough experience."

• "You’re a bit old-school."

• "That’s giving boomer vibes."

• "You’re stuck in the past."

• "You haven’t lived long enough to understand what’s really going on."

• "You’ve lived too long to understand what I’m really going through."

When we view people through the lens of cultural contracts, they become daunting to us—intimidating, frustrating, or even exhausting to deal with. Silent contracts measure how well others perform or conform to our expectations. When they don't, we can find ourselves withholding love instead of extending it. Have you found yourself dismissive of someone simply because they failed to meet your expectations? Covenant love—the kind God models for us—calls us to something higher. Covenant says, "I choose to love. I take time to understand. I extend grace even when you don't conform to my way of thinking or fully understand where I'm coming from."

It's important to ponder who we allow to shape our mindset. Culture or Christ? If it's culture, we can easily become attached to the mindset developed by the generation of our birth. For example:

• Builder Generation: "Be self-sufficient; relying on others is weak."

• Boomers: "Hustle and grind to be valuable."

• Gen X: "Marriage isn’t necessary; define relationships your own way."

• Millennials: "My identity is whatever I feel it is."

• Gen Z: "Anxiety and stress are normal."

• Gen Alpha: "I only belong if I am seen, followed, or validated."

When we cling to these cultural contracts, we view the generations as daunting, filled with expectations, pressure, and performance. But when we operate from God’s covenant love, we are free to build lasting relationships that inspire one another. We don’t cut one another out for failing. We help one another stand. We pull up a chair next to someone rather than feel the need to push them aside.

However, if our mindset is shaped by Christ, we accept the invitation to tear up the silent contracts. We are motivated to cry out for insight and ask one another to help us understand. Insight and understanding from the generations become hidden treasures to us (Proverbs 2:3-4). Our commitment to one another is formed from a love that is bigger, deeper, and more faithful than cultural expectations. In Him, we are equipped to speak His message with great courage and to extend our hands across generations, healing and restoring relationships. As we do, we position ourselves to experience miraculous signs and wonders that glorify Jesus (Acts 4:29–30).

If we were to change how we view people we will #StandUndaunted and:

• See people as gifts, not obligations

• Approach relationships with grace, not exhaustion

• Love out of abundance, not avoidance

• Engage with curiosity, not caution

• Recognize connection as a calling, not a chore

  
  

Remember, Jesus crossed generational, racial, and societal barriers. He did not care about how a person had been labeled, he cared about the person. He wanted every person to know who they were according to the Father. Don't be afraid to extend a hand across the generations like Jesus did. You might just help someone learn how to speak the language of grace.

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