Last weekend I had the opportunity to watch my youngest daughter graduate from WVU. There were so many emotions and thoughts going through my mind and I didn’t really know what to expect. What I wasn’t prepared for was the guest speaker who delivered a short but impactful speech by Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis. Mr. Lambrinidis is the ambassador of the European Union to the United States. One key takeaway that stuck with me was that he asked each graduate not to think of the how or what they are going to do with their lives but the why.
As many of you prepare for the graduation of your high school senior I want you to sit down and have a conversation that you may not have considered. Ask them their why? If they want to go to college, why? Tech school, why? Start working right away, why? If they know their major or the profession they want to seek after graduation, ask them why? Is it because they really have a passion for it? Do they want to do it because it pays a lot? Are they doing it because it’s what you’ve always wanted them to do? Allow them the opportunity to speak freely without disappointing you and try not to talk them into or out of something but really give them the chance to contemplate things. If they don’t know that’s fine. Remember they are just 17 or 18 years old and trying to make decisions that will impact the rest of their lives can be overwhelming. During the conversation ask them why? If they are going into an occupation because it pays a lot ask them why? Ask them if they feel that the pay will be worth working in an occupation in which they may be miserable? During this conversation help them, and yourself, understand that as Mr. Lambrinidis said “Knowing your why helps you determine your how and what.”
As Believers we must also ask ourselves why. We can start each day asking why we are awake, why can we get out of bed, why do we have our five senses, shelter, food, jobs, etc.? All of these questions can be answered by focusing on our Father. This question of why was part of the inspiration behind our This is Why design. Why we lift our hands should not be just based on what He has done but actually on who He is. His perfection, love, faithfulness, power, mercy, omnipotence and the fact that He is the creator. Start asking your why and sharing it with your family. Share your Why not only in the sanctuary but in your home and as you witness wherever you go. Make it all about Him as you share your why and lead others to discover theirs as well.