A Word to Graduates

Dear high school graduate, allow me a moment to speak to you as a father – a Christian father. This moment in your life seems extraordinary. A high school diploma is like the stamp of approval you are ready for adulthood. You’ve completed a course of study and are now prepared to make your mark on the world. 

You are eighteen years old. Based on average life expectancy in the US, you have roughly 59 years ahead. So, I ask you, what is your ambition? What will you do with the time ahead of you?

If you’re anything like I was at your age, you’ve got your eyes on the economy. You’ve chosen a course of study that will earn you a degree and eventually a career that will get you the big bucks. One day, people will look up to you with admiration. Maybe your name will be in the history books!

You’ve got it all laid out, don’t you? Four years in college, maybe six if you get your Master’s degree, eight to ten for a Ph.D. Let’s see, what’ve we got left now, 45-55 years? Ok! You’ll work a few years, get married, and have children – if it doesn’t interfere with your career, of course.

If you marry your job and give the company 125% of your time and effort, you might receive an AVP promotion by your early 30s (they give those out to everybody anyway), VP by 40, and SVP by 50. You’ll be on top. Great! And you’ve still got about 20 years left to live! 

Just nine more years until you can take penalty-free withdrawals from your 401K. Only 12 more until you’re eligible for Social Security. It won’t be solvent then, but a guy can dream! Don’t give any thought to the colonoscopies, mammograms, and proctologist visits you’ll need to start having each year or so!

Why have we gone through this exercise? Because wisdom is learning to number your days (Psalm 90:12). And, Christ’s imperative for you is that you grow in wisdom. Actually, he would have you value wisdom above the highest paying job: “Take my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you desire cannot compare with her” (Proverbs 8:10-11).

You should value learning and hard work, but understand you have learned nothing truly until you have learned the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). You will live well if you remember you brought nothing into this world and will take nothing out of it (1 Timothy 6:7). Therefore, you ought “to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). What you truly ought to value, then, is home, family, and faithfulness to Christ all the days of your life. Where do these fit in your plan?