Graduation season is a wonderful time of year when family and friends gather to celebrate the academic accomplishments of their loved ones. 

Because I work at a university, I have a particular fondness for this season. In a matter of days, I will be celebrating the accomplishments of students who are graduating. 

Because we are a Christian institution, each of the schools within my university has a Commissioning service prior to the university-wide Commencement. At this service, students are “commissioned” to be Christian leaders who will impact their vocational fields for the glory of God. This is a sacred time for graduates. 

For many, graduation is perceived as the culmination of their academic pursuits. It is that moment when they are publicly honored for completing all their requirements, and no doubt, they have worked very hard to get to that point. However, if graduation is perceived as the moment when someone has “arrived,” what does that mean for the rest of their life and career? Are their best days behind them? 

A New Journey

I believe graduation is not the end of something great, but the beginning of something greater. While it signifies completion in one area, it is the beginning of a new journey that builds on the foundation laid during their time as a student. It is the launching pad for a lifelong posture of learning. 

When we consider Jesus’ disciples, they received an education that no amount of money could ever buy, as they had the privilege to apprentice under the Son during his earthly ministry. To walk the earth and minister with him, what a privilege and responsibility that was! 

We recently celebrated Easter, a powerful reminder of Christ’s death and resurrection. Not long after that, the disciples watched him ascend to the Father. Some might have thought that graduation had occurred and that their best days were behind them. They had “done” it, with flaws and mistakes, but they had done it (with one obvious exception).

Yet, as they were gazing at Jesus, “two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Ac. 1:10-11, ESV). 

On this graduation day, Jesus ascended to the Father, but it was not the end. Rather, it was the beginning of a new era in which he had commissioned his followers to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ac. 1:8). They had received an incredible education with Jesus, but now their teacher was calling them to apply that education in a life of faithful service in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

Gratitude, Faithfulness & Stewardship

So, what is the connection here? Graduates who hear their names called this graduation season should have a blast! They should celebrate, laugh with friends, enjoy the fellowship, reflect on the tough times God brought them through, give God glory for the incredible academic opportunities he provided, and thank family members who sacrificed so they could pursue educational goals. 

However, they shouldn’t think for a moment that this is the end of their educational journey. They should allow this graduation season to be a springboard for them to enter into lifelong faithfulness to the call of God on their life.

Here are three ways graduates can best steward this season of new beginnings:

First, by staying humble. Humility is the posture of followers of Jesus. No one should allow earthly accolades to distract them from maintaining intimacy with him. Each of us will one day stand before God and give an account of our lives, and in that moment, I don’t believe our educational achievements are going to impress him. Rather, he will be looking for faithfulness with the opportunities he gave us. Everything we do is to be done for the glory of God, and graduation is one more platform to give him glory for the great things he has done in our lives. 

Second, by continuing to read and learn. Earning a degree is one thing but keeping that in perspective is another. There is a temptation for graduates (and all of us) to think they have arrived, but the truth is that none of us will ever arrive on this side of glory. We are called to be faithful stewards of our bodies, which includes our minds. Graduation should be a mile marker on a journey rather than a last stop with no further advancement. Graduates should keep reading, keep learning, and grow in the knowledge and wisdom of Jesus Christ. 

Finally, by remembering their identity is in Jesus Christ and not in academic achievements. Graduates should know who they are, and they are so much more than a piece of paper or transcript. They are image bearers of Almighty God, and he has commissioned them for Kingdom work. This is not the end of a journey, but rather it is the beginning of a life of humility and growth for those with a secure identity, one that this world cannot take from them. 

Graduates should use the skills and knowledge God has given them to be witnesses of Jesus Christ to the uttermost.