Two lines of students dressed in black and white

Shining lights beneath your brows

Let fate embrace you with all its might

With these words you take your vows

"We have all gathered here to rejoice

Everyone of us has made the right choice

We have survived twelve years of learning

To embrace our glorious future we are yearning

By the vigor of our very youth

Our destiny will be one of truth."

Our country is waiting for your contribution

Symbolize our freedoms

For all our cares and troubles

You will have a solution

Now it is time for a wonderful celebration

May this day be remembered as a great jubilation

At this moment change your tassel

From right to left

Our school must face this cleft

To all our graduates

Congratulations!

Author unknown

We do offer our congratulations to our graduates this year. May our words serve to express our love to you and our best wishes at this milestone in your life. I like the point made by brother John Gipson in the following article.

Everything in the world of life or nature is directed toward some particular end. Work without a definite aim is energy wasted. The child crawls in order that he may walk; he makes sounds and prattles in order that he may someday speak and be understood. This same kind of progression is seen in nature. The winds of March are followed by the showers of April for the coming of the flowers of May.

Our task is to build a life. For students, graduation day is often the culmination of their ambitions. They have studied and worked and planned, and now the "end crowns the work." But strange to say, now that the goal has been reached it becomes clear that this is not finishment, but commencement. It’s a threshold of another larger, broader, fuller life. The course has not been finished at all. Now one must find another point in the distance far ahead to which to steer. One must aim at something, or he’ll never reach anything. As Robert Browning says:

Much more is involved than choosing an occupation. One must consider the greatness and responsibility of life. I visited with a friend recently who is now a teacher. For a while in his life, he sold real estate but was not satisfied. He was making money, but he didn’t feel that he was making a difference. He wanted to make his life count for something.

Whatever your career decision may be, let me remind you to aim higher than that. Make your life count! No more worthy goal could be established than that which the apostle Paul set for himself. "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:14.) Now that’s meaningful!

John Gipson

Another writer expressed some important issues that graduates and college students face. He said that from his experience, he had found six issues that represent the major developmental tasks for college students. They are:

1. Defining and owning personal faith
2. Defining a personal identity separate from parents
3. Understanding and becoming comfortable with one’s sexuality
4. Facing and working through trauma experienced in childhood
5. Discovering aspects of a healthy relationship and marriage partner
6. Clarifying values

(From Pulpit Helps, September 1997, Gayle Tippitt, University Counseling Center, Azusa Pacific University.)

One writer said that if ancient Greek or Roman archaeologists dug up the remains of our civilization, there would be at least one surprise. They would not immediately know what we mean by "adolescence." The reason is because it is relatively a new concept. It is only about one hundred years old. It was invented in Europe and America in the late 1800s, and was not a commonly used term until the early part of the twentieth century.

Even today there are many parts of the world that have no adolescence. That is not to say that they do not have young adults. But it is to say that after 12 to 14 years of age, they were expected to take on the responsibilities and freedoms of adults. Our society has greatly changed all that. Due to the need to continue education, marriage is delayed until the mid-twenties. Young people are staying at home longer. This change has produced the new term, adolescence.

Not only are ancient cultures silent about adolescence, the Bible has little to say about it as well. Modern books are filled with discussions about this period of time. Why is the Bible so silent? We, parents and young adults, need help. The answer may be that what young adults need is the same as adults. We all need the same basic things. Teens do not need something different from the rest of us. Yes, there are some differences, but everyone has the same basic spiritual needs. Brother Jim McGuiggan wrote,

"Someone might respond, But we all really do have different needs. Well, we do and we don’t. My suspicion is that our needs are pretty much alike. Peer pressure; fear of what the future holds; loneliness; a quest for purity, honesty, and integrity; the need for a healthy self-respect; financial struggles; parent/child difficulties, wrestling with guilt and shame, with disablement and chronic illness---not one of these is related to any particular age, gender, or social group.

"One young man reminded me that teenagers have sexual drives to wrestle with. I asked him if he thought older men and women like me had up and died. He spoke of peer pressure and the drive for success, and I assured him that in some ways these can be tougher for the older set." (Where The Spirit of the Lord Is, "Some Anti-Class Remarks," 184.)

The Gospel supplies all that we need. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19.) "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalm 119:9.) "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. 3:15.)

No other time is quite like this. You are experiencing tremendous strides intellectually. Almost everything is filled with wonder and discovery.

Do not think that parents are trying to keep you from being happy. Nothing could be further from what they desire. They want your happiness and well being foremost. Solomon wrote, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer you in the days of thy youth." (Eccl. 11:9.)

Jewish families celebrate this time for their young people with a special party. For the boys, it is called the Bar-Mitzvah; for girls it is called Bat-Mitzvah. These terms mean son and daughter of the commandments. Friends and relatives were invited to this ceremony, and the child is declared to be an adult.

One author, Paul Meier, in Christian Child Rearing, suggested that Christian families may need something like this for their children. It would recognize their new status with increased freedoms and responsibilities. Perhaps, for us, graduation from high school and obtaining a driver’s license are the rites of passage to adulthood. Whatever we use to indicate this change, both parents and children should recognize it as something special. Something important is lost if we allow the changes to occur without noting it and treating them differently from that point onward. We cannot keep on treating them as if they are minor children. They will resent it and respond aggressively against it.

Awkward times. Due to rapid growth in their bodies, adolescents do not always feel comfortable. One person that I read about had grown 10 inches in one year! Relatives stopped inviting his family over for meals. He broke drinking glasses, a camera, and his uncle’s pool cue, mostly because he misjudged how long his arms and legs were.

Their bodies and minds are expanding rapidly. They begin to reason abstractly during this time. This is why young people do not know who they are! They have changed so much so quickly. Some have to go off somewhere and try to discover themselves. Literally, they have changed overnight.

Depression. In both adults and young adults, depression is relatively common. It can often be disguised in teens due to so many changes occurring. It is more obvious in adults. Depressed teens may be relatively normal and then over a period of weeks and months become increasingly irritable, rebellious and hostile. Feeling guilty over sinful behavior (even minor things) or conflicts with parents can cause depression.

Children need a very stable home environment. They need to know that they are loved and accepted. Positive communication is needed to clear their thoughts and reassure them that all is well. Frequently, parents of depressed adolescents are either too strict or too lenient.

Many people, both young and old, suffer from a very low self-image. I meet adults almost daily that suffer with this problem. They do not feel that they are persons of worth and value. Sometimes those who boast and promote themselves are suffering the most from low self-image. Depression is overcome by restoring a wholesome sense of value and purpose.

Suicide. Depression can become so severe that people consider suicide. Suicide is linked not only with depression, but with other problems as well. Teen suicide is almost epidemic in American society, having increased 300 percent in the last forty years. Some reasons are drug abuse, single-home families, the lack of the presence of a father, divorce of parents, early sexual activity, physical abuse and dysfunctional families.

Temptation. Young people are especially vulnerable because they are willing to try new things. In addition to dangerous things like bungie jumping and driving dangerously, there are moral issues as well. The first may destroy the body in death, but the second seeks to destroy the soul. Non-Christian friends and the media tempt those who are young to follow their desires.

One of the great tragedies in growing up is the loss of innocence. Learning how to handle this loss is very significant for your emotional and spiritual growth. Guilt is both a blessing and a cursing. Guilt that produces godly sorrow is good. Guilt that produces low self-image is harmful. You need to know that God is forgiving, that Jesus died for you, and that many changes that you feel in your life are not sinful. Sexual awakening is not a sinful occurrence.

Anorexia. This is a widespread problem, especially among teenage girls. Most anorexics are above average in intelligence, are upper class socially, and are often daughters of parents in professional occupations (Crisp 1970). Anorexia is an unreasonable fear of being fat, and a fear of food. Anorexics frequently have fears about growing up, especially about becoming a woman. One counselor, Paul Meier, saw one 22-year-old anorexic who weighed only 38 pounds. They will say that they are fat even though they are dying of starvation.

Anorexics have convinced themselves that they should stay little girls both physically and emotionally. With proper counseling, these problems can be solved. We should rejoice not only when our children are small, but also when they are maturing. They need to know that maturing is normal and a wonderful time in life.

Secret cutting. A recent TV special presented a problem that I was not aware of. It is called "secret-cutting." Because of difficulty adjusting to life, some teens cut themselves repeatedly. The report said that one out of every 250 teens cut themselves.

Loss of interest in religion. Very commonly interest in religion and faith decline in adolescence. They can no longer be carried to church services; now they must make their own decision about Christianity. It is a crucial time of investigation. It can be a positive time; good things can occur. But many do go away and never return.

We should never discourage investigation and study. Look at all the religions of the world; compare what is practiced and taught with the Bible. Seek to understand the Christian faith. "Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good."

After all the critical investigation is over, you are still left with a major decision. What will you do with Jesus of Nazareth? What do you think about him? How do you plan to handle the matter of sin and death? Those serious questions do not do away just because you have reached adulthood and the ability to reason about things. Those questions become even more important.

Find your own faith. Do not be so quick to throw away the faith of the Gospel. One of my teachers, brother Ron Brotherton, said to young preachers once, "Be careful when you think that you have discovered something new. Try your thoughts out on someone who has been around. It might not be as new as you think." This is good advice. Solomon said that there was nothing new under the sun. Rejections and denials of the faith are nothing new. It is simply the old unbelief that has nothing positive to offer in the place of Christianity.

Brother Gus Nichols wrote, "Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but rather because it contradicts men." Jesus said, "This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19.)