June 9: GRADUATION AS PASSAGE

It is one of our most popular “rites of passage”: Graduation! Society has placed several on the road from childhood to adulthood and even a couple of extras for those who want to become “leaders” in their field.
Graduation can be pretty heady stuff for some people. It can become “ego feed” for any person that has a high view of “self-importance”. On the other hand, an insecure person may find it devastating not to receive recognition on Graduation day.
Parents need to instill in their children a balanced view of this “rite of passage”. Yes, it is important to successfully graduate from any course. Yes, we should use our mental abilities at the very highest level of effectiveness. But all of us know people with much ‘book knowledge” but no “common sense”. All of us know people who have much “world knowledge” but have no “spiritual knowledge.”
Is that a complete person? I don’t think so. Why? Paul discovered this fact. Intellectually, he had arrived. He was an acknowledged scholar. He was a rabbi. He was a lawyer with a specialty in Religious Law. He was famous. Then, he woke up one morning with a dull taste in his mouth. “I consider all I have accomplished as rubbish.” You can have all the success the world offers and be bored with life. When Paul became a Christian, he realized what he had missed. Then he said “Forgetting what is behind me (his worldly success) and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV)
If you are the graduate or a friend of the graduate, be sure that they know the “passage” to a relationship with Jesus. It will make the rest of their earthly pilgrimage worth living.

“Father, You are the Source of all knowledge. Help us in our quest for
knowledge and then bless us with the wisdom needed to apply it. Amen”