Do you sense it? I can feel it in the air! Summer brings all types of excitement-especially for students and teachers! I imagine the most excited of all are the high school graduates as they walk into a new phase of life. They must say good-bye to the familiar and learn the new. This is a difficult stage of life to be in because there are so many questions and very few answers. It is a new beginning!
I remember when I graduated from high school. I knew which college I was going to, but that was about it. I only knew that because it was the local college, so I could live at home, and it was cheaper, too. I could at least get my first two years there. Community colleges were not an option in my era. Believe it or not, my plans changed at least a dozen times during those formative years of my life. Fortunately, I was living in a Christian home and still attended my home church. Those two foundations were not lost. Maybe if I had been listening to the Holy Spirit, I would not have had so many detours. It would have been better to have had God’s plan instead of my own. There were so many important decisions to be made.
During the five to ten years after high school a person may decide on a career, who to marry, how many children he will have, and where to live. More importantly, he will decide on the values he wishes to make his own. Will he carry on the values of his parents, will he incorporate his parent’s values with his own, or will he disavow them completely? This can all be overwhelming, unless some important decisions have already been made. We have to remain firm in our convictions or our ships will veer off course.
The Bible says,
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15:58
If a Christian young person has already made a decision to live out his Christianity, many of these decisions will be made for him. When he meets someone new, he already has a list of standards set for his future spouse. He has determined not to veer from his non-negotiables. No amount of temptation or sweet-talk will cause him to compromise the standards he has set for himself. If he is offered a job, he has the Holy Spirit to lead him in this decision. He knows it is not just about making more money, but about determining if it is the job God wants him to have. He knows the only way to influence the kingdom is to be where God wants him to be.
Unfortunately, many Christian young people have not seen this lived out, because all too often many of us older Christians do not make wise decisions. What do we base our decisions on? How we are feeling, what we are wanting, and how it affects us in this world are our deciding factors. We have our own plans, and the children don’t see us let God make our plans. We already have everything mapped out.
In Titus 2:1-8, the Bible teaches that older men and women are supposed to be examples to the younger generation. The Scripture lets us know we should be teaching them by our lives, our words, and the Word of God. When I observe the adults in our world, it saddens my heart. Many of the examples the children have to look up to are atrocious. How can we complain about the children? I wish I could say it was only the lost world, but it is not!
Read the papers, watch the news, observe the people around you. What do they have in common? Many of the so called adults of our world feel entitled. They must be first! None of the rules apply to them. If they mess up, it is someone else’s fault. Everything should be free. No one should have to pay for anything. They need to be catered to in every area of life, whether they are at a restaurant or in the hospital.
I had a loved one in the hospital a few weeks back, and I felt so sorry for our nurse. The rooms next to us had some very difficult patients. She was trying her best to satisfy them, but nothing worked. One man was hollering at her and fussing because he didn’t like his food. Another lady kept pushing the buzzer all night for trivial questions. I wondered if they were mentally or emotionally unbalanced, but it wasn’t that. They were just entitled. What they wanted must come first!
I am in a service-oriented ministry, but I am very fortunate. I have a great group of students and parents. Many of them are very appreciative of the things I do for them. That makes serving easy. But the real test is when it is not easy. Our Lord teaches us we should be a servant to all. The Word of God teaches us,
“But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:43-45
Isn’t that the secret? If we could learn to serve others with a genuine love, all of the problems would stop. Can you think of a problem that would not eventually be solved if we learn to love and serve one another? Even the tragedies of the past few months would be easier if we all put others’ needs first.
So, what is my advice to you, Graduate? Look around you! Ask God how you can serve others in your future. Find out what He wants you to do. The answer won’t revolve around you. It will be about what you can do for Him. Make this phase of your life a true beginning. Put Christ and His Kingdom first, and the rest will fall into place.
Mrs. Worthington has five children and ten grandchildren. She serves as Principal of Pathway Christian Academy in Goldsboro.