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Topic: Graduation (08/30/04)
TITLE: "Beginnings" By James Burns 09/07/04 |
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Graduation is an exciting time, full of hope and expectations, surprises, disappointments and challenges. The one thing that should be given considerable thought is that this is a time of beginnings. So much is learned in the pursuit of a degree, or diploma, but so much is still to be learned in life. Just as the Christian faith is begun as we graduate from the sins of this world and accept the new life bought for us by the sacrifice of Christ, so is the beginning of our earthly lives after graduation.
Many things will be expected as we begin this new life. We will have to work, find a home, buy food, and provide for our families. God too expects things from us. As we begin this new exciting journey we need to be very careful not to separate one from the other. Apart from God there is no joy, no happiness, no success. You could have the best job, the biggest house, and the most beautiful wife and still not be happy. How many of us know the person that seems to have it all, but still has no delight.
The world would have us believe that all these things will bring us the happiness we so desire, but this is nothing more than the world’s attempt to deceive us. God in all of his glory has made a provision for all that we need. He knows that we need food. He knows that we need a home. If an earthly father knows how to give good gifts to his children, how much more shall our Father in heaven give to us. Our job now that we have moved into this new phase of life is to go forward with faith toward the goal. You can work in the secular world and honor God; you can have fun and honor God. As we move through life we will be inundated with messages that tell us our faith will not allow us to enjoy life. But us, the ones that have moved from the world of sin, and following our own way, to the indescribable joy that comes with following Christ will know that true joy and satisfaction comes from more than what this world can offer.
As this new adventure begins, we must be ever vigilant to seek Gods’ wisdom and guidance, and know that true happiness can only be achieved through Him. The Bible says, " In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth", In our new beginning God will create a new us. A new creature that seeks to please God in all we do. So as we go forth from this beginning, seek God’s face, look to his wisdom and let Him lead you to the joy that can only come from Him. Graduation is an amazing time in a person’s life, and a beginning of so much more. God wants us all to graduate from the death that this world will bring, and the diploma we receive from him will be everlasting life.