Excerpted from a message given to high school seniors, their families, and LifeWay Youth students at Grad Night, May 25, 2022.
The next season of life is approaching for our graduates, and there are some things they will need to be prepared for in life. Here are three points that you will probably not hear at any commencement ceremony, this year or ever. (This is also important for people who are not graduates this year!) If you can latch onto these truths now, I really believe you will be setting yourself up for a huge win down the line.
1) You probably will never become the President of the United States.
Buzzkill, right out of the gate! But this is the premise of most graduation speeches, right? You probably will never be the next president. You likely won’t be a billionaire celebrity, and you most definitely will not be the next Mark Zuckerberg, unless due to some strange coincidence your name is Mark Zuckerberg.
“You can be anything you want to…”
The Bible has a verse like this quote.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him [Jesus] that strengthens me.
People think this verse conveys that they can do anything they want—bench more, run faster, jump higher—because Jesus could give them the ability to do so. However, that is not what the Bible is saying there. The author, Paul, penned those words to show that Jesus was and is enough during all circumstances; that no matter how hard life got, his joy couldn’t be taken from him, because at the end of the day, he had Jesus!
Just because you have Jesus doesn’t mean all your dreams and desires will come true. Just because you have Jesus does not mean you will have an easier life. Jesus doesn’t promise that. What he does promise is a joy that can’t be robbed from us, no matter the circumstance.
As you go out to make your goals and dreams a reality, remember that life is crazy unpredictable. We really don’t have much of a say or control on what will happen in our lives. Yes, there are certain choices and decisions that have consequences and effects, but there are situations that you will not expect to face. The only thing we can control is how we react. We must trust the Lord in all things and circumstances. Our own understanding is so limited, but God sees it and knows it all. The things that happen in your life may surprise you, but they never will surprise God.
Proverbs 3:5 (ESV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
God will help you walk through life. He is literally giving you the breath to pursue your dreams and plans. But it is foolish of us to pursue those things without God.
Proverbs 15:22 (ESV)
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Find wise people to throw and bounce ideas off. Some of you may be loving the idea of going off to college somewhere or traveling and breaking free, doing what you want, no matter what others may say. But we need to remember what Scripture says and seek out the answers from those who have gone before us.
Keep listening, keep learning, and above all, keep going! There will be times in the next few years, and for the rest of your life, when you will want to quit school, quit your job, quit people, quit church, and even quit life. Reminding yourself that God’s love for you is unwavering will help you to keep going.
2) Your faith will be challenged everywhere.
- Why do you believe in God? How do you know the Bible is true?
- Why do you believe that Jesus is real? What if Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead?
What about something that hits closer to home?
- How do you believe in a loving God when young black men are being killed by those who were hired to protect us?
- How do you believe in a loving God when school shootings happen?
- Doesn’t your God hate me because I am gay?
- How do you stand on abortion?
These are all questions that we as Christians will, at some point, have to answer. You need to reason with yourself and find how to stand in the face of adversity. Ask any Christian at a public university and they will say that by their first semester, their faith was challenged to some degree.
Your faith will be challenged in two ways. The first challenge you might notice is that people who disagree with you are louder than those who agree with you. Actually, they are not necessarily louder, but you will notice them more often because you tend to tune out the people you agree with. This isn’t just non-Christians who disagree with your faith, although there will be plenty of those. There will be Christians who disagree with you on stuff you find fundamental.
Let me give you some advice:
2 Timothy 2:23-26 (NLT) Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
Arguing solves nothing. Instead, listen to people. Learn why they believe what they believe. If it is true, then learn more about it. If it is way off base, then do not worry about it. No one comes to Christ by winning Facebook arguments.
When your faith is challenged, it is very easy to become defensive or angry. However, the Bible says that it is God’s lovingkindness that leads people to believe in Jesus. Listen to people, love them, lead by example, and find ways to engage in meaningful conversation. Jesus says that the world will be able to recognize us by the love we have for each other. God gives you opportunities in everyday life for conversations about the gospel. Don’t miss it. Be ready. However, it is rarely done well during a fight.
Secondly, your faith will be challenged because you will learn more about God than you have before. This is what happens when you have an encounter with the God of the universe. He expands your mind with more revelation of who he is; you can’t put God in a neat little box.
I thought I understood God. I thought I could clearly explain him because I went to church and summer camps and mission trips. I had a certain idea of who God was and not even the Bible could change my mind. But then I read a passage like this:
Romans 11:33-36 (ESV) Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Let me teach you two words: exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis is letting the Bible tell you what the truth is and how to understand it. Eisegesis is using the Bible to support what you think is true and simply finding Bible verses to back your idea.
Once you start approaching the Bible using exegesis, you will see God in ways you have never seen him before. Passages I thought I understood for years were completely new to me because I let God reveal himself how he wanted to be revealed. My point is, let the Scriptures teach you about who God really is instead of looking for ways to make God’s Word say what you want it to say. It will shake your faith, but it will be for your good. Don’t fall into the trap of putting God in a box. Instead of running away from the unknown, attack it and examine it. Study it. Let the Scriptures reveal the truth to you.
3) Your faith will be challenged in the coming years…but it will be ruined if you don’t find community.
No matter where you find yourself, whether you go off somewhere or stay in town, find other people who love Jesus, so you can continue to grow. Your faith will be challenged and that is normal, but if you are not in a local church and in real community, it will be devastating. About 70% of teens quit going to church by their first year out of college. Most of those never attempted to join one. Find a local church to serve and join! It will make a world of difference in helping you navigate through the next few years and the rest of your life!
God bless you all, and may we all lead lives that glorify him in the process!
In His name,