3 minute read
You Have A Purpose
from April 2020
by Bridget Gray
Spring has officially sprung (finally!), and high school seniors all over the country are moving closer to the day they’ve been counting down to for the past four years. For them, this day cannot seem to get here fast enough. For their parents, this day is arriving too quickly. In just over a month, high school seniors will don their caps and gowns, the high school band will strike up the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance,” mamas will cry buckets of tears, dads will fuss over the camera…Folks, it’s almost High School Graduation Day. My own high school graduation was just a little over 20 years ago. As I recall that time, I can’t help but think, “If I knew then what I know now…” I think about the life lessons I’ve learned in all the years since I walked down the halls of my own high school. Would the teen years have been any smoother or easier? If I had had a little peek into the future, would it have mattered? If I may, here is just one thing I would tell a soon-to-be-graduate.
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Each and every one of you has a God-given purpose in this life. You do. Not only do you have a purpose, but you have a God-given purpose specifically given to YOU. The Lord tells us in Jeremiah 1:5, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” He formed and molded each and every one of us for a purpose and has given us gifts to fulfill that purpose.
So what does that mean to a high school graduate? It means that even if you don’t see it, even if you haven’t figured out just what you want to do with your life yet (and that’s okay), don’t ever think that there isn’t a purpose to
your life. Think about the things you love. Think about your skills, your strengths, your talents. God gave those to you for a reason. He didn’t give us all the same gifts, so don’t ever feel like you have to go with the flow. Don’t fall into the trap of comparison and feel like you don’t measure up.
Don’t take a certain path in life because it seems like the easiest or the most sensible.
What is it that you’re passionate about? What gets you excited and makes you want to dive in 100%? Take that and treasure it, mold it, and develop it. Work on it, parlay it into your education or career, and you will be starting out on a solid foundation. The end of that verse says He has “appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” There’s a reason for your gift, for your talent, for your interests! There is a reason and a purpose for YOU. Cling to the Lord and He will guide you to your purpose—His purpose.
Bridget Gray is a native Roman & received her BA in English from the University of West Georgia in 2002. A self-professed “book nerd”, Bridget enjoys roaming through Barnes & Noble in her rare free time. Bridget & her family (husband Jarrett & daughters Carter & Avery) attend LIFE Church.
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