Graduation season is almost over, leaving many students facing the beginning of the rest of their lives. I have watched their faces, recalling my own thoughts, excitement, and fear almost twenty years ago as I stood on stage. But in this new phase of my life, I am also asking myself, “Am I doing enough to prepare my own children for this moment?” I want to be that mom with the radiant face as a speaker highlights all my child’s greatest accomplishments and forecasts the future successes that are sure to come based on high grades, winning personality, and various awards. And yet deep down I know that as proud as those things will make me, it will give me no real guarantee of a successful future for my child.
The students are hearing things like, “you can do anything you put your mind to,” “follow you heart,” and “the whole world is open in front of you.” These thoughts may seem motivating, but can actually be quite confusing. In reality, there are only two paths from which to choose: our own way or God’s way. Our own way is a sure fire path to failure, though it may not seem so to the outside world. I can choose a career, go to a prestigious college, earn a degree in record timing with a summa cumme laude title, find a great job, and make tons of money, but still feel like a failure. I can receive pats on the back and feel quite proud of my many accomplishments, but come home feeling anxious, depressed, lonely, and angry.
Or I can seek God’s direction, willingly following wherever He leads. It may be the very same course as outlined above. Then again, it may be a completely separate path with little money, few pats on the back, and no fancy titles. But in either scenario I will be content and feel successful, because it’s God’s way and not my own.
So as I’m parenting my children and preparing them for this coming time in their lives, I will keep an image of one road splitting off into two. I am guiding them now under God’s direction, but in a few short years, they will simply have two choices: their own way or God’s. I pray that I am training them to listen to the Holy Spirit in the little time I have with them under my care, so that when they reach this fork in the road, they know where He is guiding them.
Father, I pray that You untangle the thoughts in our minds as we lead our children. Help us to see that there are only two paths. May we define success as wholly following You and remaining in Your will as long as we live. Give us wisdom and endurance in training our children to hear and respond to Your voice. And then, Father, we ask in faith that You make them successful when they leave our nests. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…” Philippians 3:7-9
“Thus says the Lord: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,’ declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23-24
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21