At Graduation

Dear Sons and Daughters,

Graduation is now near.  We are proud of you, and the way you have grown over the years.  We are impressed with your accomplishments and aspirations, and we are anxiously looking forward to hearing of your success in the next phase of your lives.  We are welcoming you into a world that needs your help, your creativity, your ingenuity and your care.

I am sure you are going to hear a lot of good advice in the coming weeks- advice about careers, and wise choices, college and family.  Through all of your upcoming adventures, may I suggest that you are going to need a solid foundation to build your life upon, especially in challenging times.  Consider the following words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3...

"... no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.”

God has laid a foundation of grace, upon which we live and move and build our lives.  That foundation is the love of God, expressed through Jesus Christ.  It is upon that foundation that we build in order to bless others and glorify God.  Let me urge you to present yourselves as a living gift to God.  Don’t be conformed to the rest of the world, rather be transformed and let God renew your mind so that you may do His will and allow Him to love others through you.

The world that you are entering is experiencing a great deal of confusion and chaos right now.  Politically, socially, morally, and financially, there are many who find their feet planted firmly in mid-air.  There is an old saying worth noting: “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything”.  Dedicate yourself to a good work ethic, seek to bless your family and community, make the most of the incredible gift of life that God has given you.  And most important, allow all of these things to draw you closer to the God who gave them to you- the God who calls to you, “Come, follow me…”

There is a big beautiful world out there.  Come and make the most of it with us!