A Charge to the Class of 2025
Last week I was pulled in as a pinch hitter to give the pastoral charge at a homeschool graduation ceremony out here in West Texas. I covet opportunities like that. God never intended for our preaching to remain inside the walls of church buildings.
So, when I was called upon to bring some wisdom to these graduating seniors, I immediately accepted the opportunity—and I prayed to God for some direction on what I should say.
After a day of thinking it over, I decided that I wanted to give these young people something of substance, not just another “speech” that would be forgotten in the parking lot. So I sat down that night with my iPad and quickly jotted down the things that have most helped me. It just so happened to be a nice, clean 10 pieces of wisdom.
These following truths have been profoundly impactful in shaping my character. Truly, I can’t tell you in how many ways they have strengthened me and guided me and helped me along my own journey. I’ve found them to be supremely practical and attainable, especially with practice and effort.
I did not get these principles from a book or one single source. The following lessons are a composite of personal experience, elderly counsel, exegetical meditation, and probably some other areas that I’ve since forgotten. These truths are ones that I actually use regularly, and it’s my hope that you’re blessed by them as I have been.
Ten Pieces of Practical Wisdom
One, beg God every day for wisdom. When I was 19, I felt quite lost in my mind. I can’t really explain it, but everything seemed cloudy, and the future seemed dreary. During that time, I met an older man at church, and his stories and personality enamored me. It seemed that for every question I asked, he had a solid and tangible answer. So, I asked him how he’d developed so much wisdom. He simply said, “Daniel, I wake up every single day and beg God for wisdom.” And he’d been doing that for decades.
Proverbs 8:11 says, “Wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.” And James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (1:5).
This means that God promises to give faithful people the richest of all treasures, if only they’d ask for it in faith. When you get up in the morning, beg God for wisdom—every single day.
Two, live to serve other people. Jesus called us to take up our crosses and to deny ourselves. Then he said, “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
This world will tell you on repeat that the path to joy is to do whatever you’d like, whenever you want. But that’s a lie. That path actually always leads to despair. True life is found in self-denial and Christian service. I promise you. If you’re ever feeling devoid of meaning and purpose, it’s probably because you’ve been spending all of your time doing things that are devoid of meaning and purpose (TV, doom scrolling, video games, porn, etc.).
So, go do something for somebody beyond yourself. Specifically, do it for Jesus’ glory.
Three, when you feel darkness in your mind or soul, go look on something bright. Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light” (Matthew 6:22).
What he means is, the things you’re looking at inform your inner man. They inform your soul and whether or not it’s light in there. If all you’re doing is looking at bad news reports and the doomsday rhetoric of our culture, of course it’ll make you feel dark. But look on Jesus. Get out into the sunlight and observe creation. Listen to bright music. Read beautiful books. Think about whatever is good.
Four, along the way, you’ll probably pick up some bad habits—probably some sinful ones, too. Here’s how you kick it. Most people just try to stop—whether its drinking or smoking, or whatever. But Jesus warned of leaving your vessel empty.
He said, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-45).
Here's what he’s saying. Don’t try to empty yourself of something bad. Instead, fill yourself with something good. I know a man who quit meth by becoming a crossfitter. Replace the bad with good. Fill yourself with Christ. Fill yourself with Scripture. Fill yourself with Christian fellowship. Fill yourself with whatever is true and right and pure. Like putting a water hose into a dirty bucket, the impurities within you will be driven out as you proactively consume that which is righteous and good.
Five, find a mentor. find somebody older than you, wiser than you, better than you. And try to be around them. Ever since I graduated high school, I have always sought somebody to mentor me. If bad company corrupts good morals, then good company fosters good morals.
Be humble, be inquisitive, and always pursue excellence. You don’t know everything, and you never will. There is always something to learn. But the fact is, you’ll learn it best from somebody who’s farther along than you. So be around such people.
Six, when you feel a bit overwhelmed, don’t underestimate the power of a good nap and a snack. (I think this piece of advice first came to me in a meme. Seriously.) Once, Elijah was despaired in his ministry and he felt like giving up.
He said to God, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again...And he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God (1 Kings 19).
Seven, take good care of your body. It is a temple. And you only have one. Paul said that he buffets his body and makes it his slave.
When I was just off to college, I think I spent about $1200 in that first year at Taco Bell. And that was back when they had an actual value menu. That was a time when I battled a lot of mental difficulties and general sluggishness.
I think back, and I was eating trash, hardly sleeping, and trying to manage a bunch of newfound freedom. Of course that made it harder! Get good sleep; eat good food; and exercise every single day. You’ll thank yourself later.
Eight, don’t go it alone. Find a good buddy. Pray to God for a godly mate. Get plugged into a real church community where you can be challenged and encouraged and held accountable. We all learned during covid that fellowship is indispensable. We were not meant to be islands. You need a community. We all do.
Nine, be close with your Creator. Be in his Word often. Be constant in prayer. Jesus is my very best friend, and I’m not just saying that. He really is. I wish I could tell you everything he’s done for me. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Ten, turn all of your labors into ministry. We often think that Christian service is limited to what happens on Sunday during worship, but honestly, that’s the smallest aspect of Christian service. In Colossians 3:23-24, Paul wrote: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”
Notice: He’s talking about physical labors (jobs, study, work), and he expressly says, “You are serving the Lord Christ.” The word for “serving” is the word from which we get “ministry.” The fact is, Jesus sits at the center of all of reality. Everything was made by him and for him. So, do you work for Jesus—not merely for a paycheck.
When you do your work for him, you’ll work hard even when no one is looking. When it’s for Jesus, you’ll work hard, even when your boss doesn’t deserve it. When it’s for Jesus, you’ll work harder than anyone else who merely works for a paycheck. And because of that, you will excel.
Conclusion
Take these truths and use them for God’s glory. They’re not meant to be plaques. The Christian faith isn’t stale. God cares about your daily affairs. He cares about your wellbeing. He has supplied to us his infinite wisdom. Use it and be blessed.