Graduation Day Thoughts
Tomorrow is graduation day at SEBTS. Students from the college and the seminary are graduating.
Many of these students are completely biblical studies degrees and Masters of Divinity degrees with the purpose of finding a job with a church organization.
I want to encourage all of these graduates. Education is important, and your degree demonstrates that you have acquired certain information. This is good, and it can be very helpful for the church.
Please, remember, though, that education is not the same as maturity. Whether you accept a paid position with a church organization or you serve in some other capacity, you should seek to learn and grow from those who are more mature than you. You still need to be discipled.
For those who will be in a “staff” or “ministerial” position with a church organization, please also recognize that people may place requirements and duties on you. Don’t confuse administration, planning, and decision-making with leading (as a servant) or with making disciples.
Seek to make disciples, spending as much time as possible with people, regardless of your vocation or position.
Or as a previous employer told me once in an interview…”just because you have an engineering degree doesn’t mean you are an engineer”.
Being recognized by an impersonal institution (that you paid lots of money to) is one thing – being recognized by those around you because of your actions is something else altogether.