Over the past few weeks I have enjoyed two bucket-list opportunities in ministry. Recently I thoroughly enjoyed being the commencement speaker for my daughter’s graduation ceremony, and, last night, I spoke at the Ozark High School Baccalaureate Service. What a joy to be able to speak at Kara’s event and then again to our local high school’s event. In Ozark, the Baccalaureate Service while hosted on school grounds is operated totally by the students. A student committee asked me to speak and I emceed the event as a non-school employee. In both instances, as a local church pastor and parent, these events brought great joy for me. In the following blog “To the Graduates and Their Families,” I provide the basic ideas that I set forth to each graduating class. I hope they will help you as you talk with your graduate or if you are a graduate.
Graduation Provides a New Turning Point
As you graduate, each of you enjoy a new opportunity or new turning point in life. You shut the door on one part of your life as you open it to another.
The past is filled with memories. Some of the memories you will cherish for the rest of your life. They will go with you as special gems. In moments, you will want to pull them out, brush them off, take a good look at them, be encouraged, and then put them back to consider another day. You made friends that you will hold dear the rest of your life as well. In the recent past, my high school classmates and I celebrated 30 years since the special day of high school graduation. Many of these friendships I still hold dear.
As you go through this door, you have the opportunity of many different paths. No one will choose your path forward for you; instead, you get to be the one who determines which direction to go, what you learn, where you go, and with whom you travel. The future is wide open. In other words, you enjoy many, many opportunities ahead for which you are responsible.
In light of this, there are four key truths for you to consider as you move forward.
One Universal Truth – What You Sow, You Reap
The Apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:7-10).
Graduates and your family, this universal principle provides you much insight as you consider what is through the door of opportunity in front of you. The decisions you make, or we could say, the seeds you sow, determine what kind of harvest you will receive. You cannot control what things may happen around you or even to you in terms of life circumstances; however, you certainly determine what kind of harvest you can expect in the future.
Will you sow to the flesh? Will you plant seeds of selfishness and living simply for your own desires? If you do, although it may not seem like it in the moment of being selfish, but you will not enjoy the harvest.
Will you sow to the Spirit? Will you live the kind of life that honor the Lord? If you do, although in the moment it may be harder than living selfishly, you will enjoy the future harvest.
Thankfully, God provides for us a way forward that helps us know how to plant the best seeds.
Two Guiding Principles
Guiding Principle 1: In Love, Serve Others
The Apostle Paul again helps us, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” (Galatians 5:13-15).
God only gives us so much energy each day. Consider a water bottle as an example. The water in the water bottle represents all the energy God provides for you every day. That energy you can use any way that you wish. Every morning you have a brand new bottle with brand new energy for your day. Every morning you have to made decisions on how to use it. Thankfully, God provides two guiding principles on how to use that energy every day.
The first guiding principle is: “In love, serve others.”
You can live every day seeking to serve yourself, which is here referred to as the flesh, or you can live every day seeking to serve others in love. God points you toward serving others in love. This is actually a command.
With your allotment of energy each day, God desires for you to find those that you can lovingly serve. God provides energy. You are to use that to find other people to bless, encourage, demonstrate kindness to, and otherwise serve. The sky is the limit. Opportunities abound. People all around you need help, encouragement, and many other things. As you see those around you, remember that God provides you energy to day and asks you to use it in their service.
Guiding Principle 2: In the Spirit, Practice Self-Control
The Apostle Paul provides a second command, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16-17).
The second guiding principle for your opportunities ahead and for how you use your daily dose of energy is: “In the Spirit, practice self-control.” God gives you your energy partially to fight against your flesh. As you walk in the Spirit, you actively fight against the desires of the flesh.
When you live in the flesh, you do those things that please yourself. You follow your own desires. Whatever you want in a particular moment, you go for it. You plant seeds of selfishness and reap a harvest of corruption. The Apostle Paul provided an entire list here of works of the flesh. On the one end – murder; on the other – jealousy. The works of the flesh include anything you do where you live for you and not God or others.
When you walk in the Spirit, you honor God in your daily moments of living. The result of that is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When you practice self-control through the Spirit, you will plant seeds that produce a harvest of blessings in your life and ultimately in the lives of others.
Whereas the first guiding principle points us toward love of neighbor, this guiding principle points us toward love of God. To walk in the Spirit essentially means that you live in light of the first Great Commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Two Great Commandments – Two Guiding Principles.
One Guiding Light – the Word of God
Let me suggest a fourth idea that helps put all of this together. The Psalmist wrote:
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. (Psalm 119:9-11, 105)
How do you know how to serve others well and bless those around you? The Word of God. The Bible provides light for our path.
Around the Ozarks, as you may have noticed, there are a bunch of woods. At night, it is hard to walk through the woods, especially if you depend upon the moonlight. Instead, you need a light. The light provides safety as you walk through the woods.
The Bible also provides you that same kind of light. As you seek to discern what kinds of seeds to sow, how to best love your neighbor through service, and how to walk in the Spirit practicing self-control, the Bible sheds light on the path. It provides for you the wisdom you need. It serves as your authority for all these decisions.
Therefore, you will need to use some of the energy God provides you every day to read the Bible, study it, and seek to apply it in your decisions.
Opportunities Await
As you now move through the door from one part of your life to another, opportunities await. Graduates, family, and friends, let’s pray together that God provides you the wisdom to carefully, faithfully, and wisely sow seeds that reap a harvest of righteousness as you in love serve others and in the Spirit practice self-control according to the light of the Scriptures.
Image Credit Screenshot
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together
Trackbacks/Pingbacks