A Sermon for Graduation

Life's School Room

By Rev. George L. Majors

May 20, 1979

Thousands of young people, all across our nation, are in the process of leaving one phase of life and stepping out into another - they are being graduated from high school. The Bible says, "of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh." Ecc. 12:12 KJV  For many, high school graduation will be an escape from this weariness of the flesh. For others, it will be just a change of pace. But for all graduates, it will be the passing of a mile stone in the school of life.


Turning to James 4:14 we read these words - "For what is your life?" For what is your life?


Life is much like a great school room! It has its lessons to be learned. No matter how old we get, there are still lessons to be learned. One psychologist said, "People don't die of old age, they die of boredom" - "When we stop learning, we get bored." In the words of another:

"Happiness is like a butterfly, it often lights upon the shoulder of one who is not chasing after it." Or, "Happiness is like jam, you can't spread it around without getting some on yourself." 

"A little second grader says to his mother as he returns from school, 'Our teacher asked us to try to make someone happy today. So after school I stopped in to see Aunt Emma because she's always happy when I go home!'"

Another said, "Life is like a game of tennis, the person who serves well seldom loses." And someone else, "The only way to save time is to spend it well."

Remember that a great deal of what you see in life is what you are looking for. If we look for the flowers we will see them. But to see the sun and stars we must look up. 

In the words of Robert E. Lind "From childhood to the grave, life faces us with challenges. When each one comes we have two choices: We can avoid it and lose, or we can accept it and grow. It's easy to lose zest, to grow weary in taking a vital interest in others. It's easy to tire of responsibility, to sit back and let others do what we should be doing ourselves. It's easy to be relegated to a position where we are doing only what we have to do. But once we become afraid of these challenges and opportunities, we are finished. It doesn't matter how old we are." - Robert E. Lind For the Fairbanks Daily News Miner, Saturday, September 20th 1975

Life has its choice of subjects, our world is full of interesting things to study. But none so important as our great text book, The Bible. Paul says to young Timothy, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

Life has its times of testing and these tests are often given when least expected. The Psalmist prayed, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reigns and my heart" Psalm 26:2 The Living Bible reads, "Cross-examine me, O Lord, and see that this is so; test my motives and affections too." 

What about our motives in this great school of life? Do we serve God only for good feelings and blessings? What if, instead of "joy, wonderful, joy" it were "heartache and sorrow?" If we were looked down upon and cursed, would we still serve God? 

The devil accused Job of this very thing - of serving God for the blessings attached. Job 1:1 "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil." "His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east." (vs 3) "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil?' Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, 'Doth Job fear God for nothing? Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thy hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to they face.'" Job 6 - 11 KJV

Satan said - "Job serves God for the blessings, but put him to the test - remove the blessings and he will curse you." God accepted the challenge of Satan, having perfect confidence in Job's ability to pass the test. "And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.'" Job 1:12 KJV

Would you dare face such a challenge? Would you be able to stand true to God in the face of hardship - financial loss - sickness and heartaches? Job did! We can too, in the powers of his might, in the strength of his Spirit - if we are truly dedicated to His will.

In the great school room of life we are tested from time to time to determine our real motives in serving God. The Bible is our best means of testing. It is our mirror - it reflects our real self. It is a sharp instrument, opening up our inner nature unto our self. (Hebrews 4:12) That is why we should continually read our Bible. To make sure where we stand before God. To make sure of our motives and of where our affections lie. 

When we give, is it for the good it will do others? Or do we have ourselves in mind? 

Do we come to church for self edification only or do we come to please God, to honor Him and to help encourage others? Paul says, "Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church." 1 Corinthians 14:12 KJV And in Hebrews 10:24 we find, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works" 

"A little girl once asked, 'Mother, what is a conscience?' 'That little voice inside that tells you when you are good,' replied mother. 'But, it won't tell you, will it mother?' asked the girl." Our conscience is given, not to judge others, but to judge ourselves. 

Life has its rewards: It has special recognitions and awards.

"No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly." - Psalm 84:11b KJV

It is no disgrace to be poor, Jesus was poor, but it is no virtue either. Poverty will not take us all to heaven. It does not mean that we are good or bad just because we are poor. It is God's desire that all should be blessed. 

And it is also true that it is no virtue to be rich. Nor does it necessarily mean that to be rich is to be without virtue. The Bible does say that is is a danger spiritually to be rich. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out." 1 Timothy 6:6-7 KJV And the more the means to do good, the greater the responsibility to do so. "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." Ephesians 4:28 KJV 

Perhaps our prayer should be Proverbs 30:8 "Give me neither poverty nor riches; but give me only my daily bread." 

The real reward of the School of Life comes after death in the endless ages of eternity. Jesus painted the picture for us when he said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8:36 

The great school room of life is to prepare the soul for eternity, like a dressing room for heaven. Concerning the school of life, the poet hath said, 

"Tell me not in mournful numbers, 

Life is but an empty dream! 

For the soul is dead that slumbers, 

And things are not what they seem." 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow A Psalm of Life. 

For life is real - life is earnest! And the grave is not the goal for - "Dust thou art, to unto dust shalt thou return" Genesis 3:19 was not spoken of the soul. Let us conclude with a few more stanzas from Longfellow's Psalm of Life:

"In the world's broad field of battle

In the bivouac of Life

Be not like dumb, driven cattle!

 Be a hero in the strife!

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime, 

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints in the sands of time;

Let us, then, be up and doing, 

With a heart for any fate; 

Still achieving, still pursuing, 

Learn to labor and to wait." 

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

A Psalm of Life