As I shared in my previous post, I sent off our senior graduates a few weeks ago. I shared about identity and also gave them a list of 5 things I would tell my son and daughter if they were moving onto the next season of their life. Here it is:
1. Grow closer to Jesus and to continue in the things that have brought you to where you are at today.
2. Don’t allow the “business” of college and your working life to keep you from being in fellowship with believers in a church and a day-to-day life.
3. Find a solid group of people that share your enthusiasm about the Lord and that can challenge you, encourage you, and co-labor with.
4. Be people that have a different attitude about life and work. Often times it is someone who is not joining in on a work group gossip lunch break, or someone who refuses to cheat on an exam when the teacher walks out, that allows an open door when they wonder why you are different.
5. Remember, if you mess up or find yourself in a place that you don’t want to be, that our God, the God of comfort and grace is able to help, forgive, and restore.
6. Have fun and enjoy the life that God has graciously given you. Sure some seasons are more difficult than others, but your college and young working years are some of the most memorable and fun times if you do it with the right people. Drinking in a frat house may look cool on TV, but if you have ever been to a frat house you quickly are reminded at how nasty and not cool that place really is!
That was 6 exhortations; in classic youth pastor fashion I added an extra point on the fly. I’m sure if I had enough time I could come up with dozens if not hundreds more, but I would basically just be stealing them from the book of Proverbs! Those were just the first few that came to mind!
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