Dear Precious Friends,
It's fill our soul Sunday and what a beautiful day we've been given. I pray you are able to worship God with your church family whether its online, drive in or however you can! This is our day to fill our soul and when we do our week ahead is greatly blessed!!!
I love this reminder and this image of how important it is to surround ourselves with those on the same mission as us and now more than ever this is something we need to share with our High School and College graduates. God knew the College graduation classes would not be walking on stage but would receive their accomplishments with their families and friends virtually.Perhaps He wants us to pour into them with encouragement which will also encourage us. (this advise is advise we all need)
What words of wisdom do we have for these High School and College Graduates? This advice is also true for us now more than ever!
Our High Schoolers should still be able to have their graduation but didn't expect this nor did any of us!!!
College graduations have been doing virtual graduations last Saturday and this Saturday coming up! They pretty much had the rug pulled out from under them during Spring Break not knowing they wouldn't go back physically to school.
WOW..
I'm sharing what I know to be the most important piece of advise and would love for you to share your advise also!!!!
Here is my #1 piece of advise:
Keep God First (Always)
The most powerful way we can help set grads up for success is by pointing them to Jesus Christ. Our human counsel can, and will, fall short. His never will.
As I think about the comments I received during graduation, I mostly heard things along the lines of “Reach for the stars” and “You’ve got this!” My friends wanted the best for me, and I’m thankful they cared enough to encourage me. But now that life has given us wisdom ... we can share this wisdom!!!
What if, instead of, “Reach for the stars,” we told our grads, “Reach for Jesus”? What if, instead of, “You’ve got this” we reminded them, “God’s got this”? What if we created with our words, and actions, a climate of desperate dependance on Christ? What if we prompted them to keep God first, no matter what?
We would have a generation of graduates more passionate about Jesus and more devoted to the things of God.
We only have so much influence over our graduates. So in addition to supporting them and cheering them on, let's remember to always point them to Jesus. And don’t forget to pray for their endeavors and successes. Pray they don’t give up after failure. Pray God leads them every day of their lives. Pray God places wise and Godly people—and a healthy church—in their path. Pray they’ll stand strong and fix their eyes on Christ.
Those beloved grads are in God’s hands, and he’ll never let them go. I love Henry David Thoreau's quote when thinking of this in a Godly way...
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau
The dreams God gives our next generation can be dreams to be world changers for the Kingdom. Those dreams are dreams He wants them to use to change the world for His purposes.
Our world desperately needs this next generation of leaders who graduated during a unsettling time where the only thing that is certain is God and His will. His word is filled with incredible reminders of truth that include WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE !!!!! So much is still possible....dreams can still be achieved, opportunities can still be had, and each of them will have a hand in creating what this new world of ours will look like.
The pressure for a new graduate to appear successful and confident is excruciating. This is intensified by the well-meaning individuals who ask, as a form of small talk, “So, what are your plans now?” Not having a ready answer—or a traditional one—can turn a simple question into an agonizing struggle for grads who feel the pressure to perform according to everyone’s expectations.
One of the most encouraging truths we can share with a graduate is that even if their plans falter, God’s vision for their life is still secure. His purpose may (or may not) be different than what they were anticipating, but he will lead and guide them every step of the way.
That’s a truth they’ll be able to hold onto throughout their entire lives, even when graduation is a distant memory.
Integrity, honesty, compassion, self-giving, and spiritual disciplines uphold graduates through the trials and tough times every adult faces. Focusing on the heart and pointing them to Jesus, we will encourage grads to be giving, sensitive, Christ-following individuals throughout their lives.
God knew our graduates would experience such a time as this... Let's encourage them to be strong and equipped, committed to standing firm on truth. Point them to Scripture. Hold them accountable. Encourage them to find—and join—a local church. Model integrity. And most importantly let them know how much we believe in them but more importantly ow much God believes in them...
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Let's encourage our graduates and also remember to surround ourselves with those on the same mission to live out God's purposes for such a time as this!!
Please share your advise!! We can forward to our precious graduates.
Have a soul filled Sunday knowing how loved you are!!!
AMEN!
Song of reflection
