COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS: Rev. Joe McDaniel Today it is my goal to say something relevant and meaningful to you in about ten minutes. Class of 2021, as you move from high school to college and then into the real world, it is my hope and prayer that you will have successful lives and meaningful careers. But please understand that success should never be equated with personal gain or material possessions. Real success means being who God has created and called you to be and then giving Him the credit and glory. I hope you all understand how truly blessed you are to become graduates of an exceptional college-preparatory school that is unashamedly Christian in both heritage and in practice. I have four brief points that I hope you will remember today. First, as a Christ-follower, God has supernaturally gifted you with talents and skills that are unique to only you. He blessed you with personality, intelligence, and certain skills in drama, art, athletics, music, technology, and He has given you spiritual gifts as well. God has made you unique, so be thankful for that. I love the fable about the eagle, the duck, and the rabbit. The eagle obviously could fly, but he couldn’t swim. The duck could swim, but he couldn’t run fast. The rabbit could run fast, but he couldn’t fly. Each animal had a strong suit unlike the others. The lesson is this: don’t moan and complain about what you don’t have or those
things that you can’t do. Instead, be thankful for what you do have and what you can do. Build on and use the strengths and the talents that God has given to you. Second, you are leaving a legacy. Just as FPD has a strong and lasting legacy of excellence in Christian education, likewise, you’re leaving a legacy of your own. The Nobel Peace Prize is given to those who have made exceptional contributions in science, the arts, technology, or in service for the betterment of mankind. Let me tell you a story about the Nobel Peace Prize that you may not have heard. Alfred Nobel was a chemist who made his fortune by inventing powerful explosives, and then selling the formula to foreign governments who made deadly weapons. One day, Nobel’s brother died, but a newspaper accidentally listed an obituary for Alfred Nobel instead of his deceased brother. The obituary identified Alfred Nobel as the inventor of dynamite, who made a fortune by enabling armies to create new levels of mass destruction. Alfred Nobel had the unique opportunity to read his own obituary while he lived and see how he would be remembered. Naturally then, he was shocked to find that this is what his life had become. He would be remembered as a merchant of death and destruction. That’s when Nobel took his fortune and used it to create awards for accomplishments that contributed to life rather than death. And today, he is remembered for his contributions
to peace and human achievement and not for explosives. Class of 2021, people will look at your lives and they will remember you at some level. Someone is watching your life, while there are others who will even emulate what you do. Maybe it’s a younger sibling or a fifth or an eighth grader who thinks you are cool, funny, or someone they want to imitate. My guess is you did the same thing when you were younger as you looked up at those who were seniors. Your challenge is to leave a godly, Christ-like legacy for those who follow you. Third, be wise. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 1:7 that the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.” I feel certain that you have been taught in your years at FPD the story of Solomon and how God gave him the choice of anything he wanted. Solomon chose wisdom. Graduates, please don’t make important life decisions based on your feelings, trends, emotions, and certainly not on the opinions of others. Don’t ask if something is legal, or lawful, or even ethical. Do ask what is the wise thing to do, because wisdom truly does come from God. We gain wisdom by seeing the world around us from a biblical perspective. So graduates, be wise in the decisions that you make. A successful American businessman once told a
