Thoughts on Graduation

It's been just over a week since I graduated college (Yay!).

Over the last week, I've been looking back over four awesome years of college. I've made some incredible friends and unforgettable memories. It's been an exciting chapter of my life. But I'm the kind of person who tends to also become somewhat introspective at these sort of junctures. As I look back, I realize that four years have simply vanished, four years that have brought wonderful memories, painful losses, lasting lessons, and life-changing decisions. It simply staggers me how quickly they have gone by.


I am just beginning to understand the meaning of the apostle's inspired words when he wrote: "For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." But what is more sobering is that some day I will stand before my Savior to give account of how I used the life He gave me. Every word, every thought, every motive will be evaluated in the light of His glory. This is a sobering, even fearful thought. To be honest, my thoughts and actions often deny or simply ignore this truth. We are so apt to squander life's most valuable resource--time--on empty pursuits which will not count for eternity. We will waste hours each day seeking entertainment, but will not invest one minute seeking the Eternal God. Many Christians spend their entire lives seeking comfort, wealth, happiness among a host of other things, but will one day come to the tragic realization that they have wasted the life God gave them.

If there is no eternity, time has no meaning. Our sufferings and sacrifices for Jesus Christ are pointless tragedies if there is no eternity. But Scripture, and indeed mankind's conscience, plainly declare that eternity is real. But all too often, we live like this life is all there is, when in truth, this brief existence is merely the preparation for eternity.

What God demands of His people is not mere acknowledgment of His existence in a weekly church service. He demands our all. A life not lived in reckless abandonment to Jesus Christ is a life wasted. While we may find this shocking, it is the pronouncement of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" No matter what wealth or fame you may gain, if you do not live for the glory of God, our wealth and fame is lose--eternal loss. Every day we are given twenty-four hours to either invest in eternity or squander in the present. 

I said earlier that our sacrifices for Christ are pointless tragedies if eternity is not real. But the opposite gloriously true: because eternity is real, no sacrifice for Christ can truly be considered a sacrifice, for the reward is eternal. Giving up all to follow Christ, though wildly foolish to the carnal man, is nothing more than a wise investment for the one who has glimpsed the glories of eternity in the presence of Christ. To "throw away" a promising career in order to spend a life proclaiming the worthiness of Christ is a ridiculous thing to do if we have no resurrection hope in Christ. But if we do have eternal hope, "throwing away" a promising career to do God's will is the wisest thing we could possibly do. 

And let me say this lest you think I am proposing we serve God for mere mercenary reasons: our ultimate motivation for serving Jesus Christ is the supreme worthiness of Jesus Christ. No sacrifice can be considered a sacrifice because He is deserving of our all, whether or not He ever rewarded us. But beyond that, no sacrifice can be deemed a sacrifice because Jesus Christ Himself is our Exceeding Great Reward, not only for all eternity, but also for right now. 

Looking back over the last four years, I can see many wonderful things that God has done in my life. But I also look back with regret at all the opportunities I let pass me by. To be honest, I often get so absorbed with the things I want to do in the future that I do not even notice the glorious opportunities in the present. We must take every opportunity God gives us today to bring Him glory. We can never re-live last year. We can never take back the opportunities we let slip by. You can never relive last week, or yesterday, or even the last minute you spent reading this. But we can take advantage of the opportunities of right now. 

As I reflect on four year of college, I am challenged afresh to spend my life for eternity right now. Life is too short and eternity too long--far too long, to not let its reality permeate our every moment.

I want to come to the end of my life and look back at a life lived to nothing but the worthiness of Christ. Even if such life brings me suffering, takes away comfort, sends me across the planet to another country, or calls me to live in obscurity, I want to know that my life has screamed out to all who can hear, "Jesus Christ is absolutely worthy!" 

Life is too short and eternity is too long not to live that way.