Alive Word: Message to all 2011 graduates, “you are a gift to the world”
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson - Tuesday, July 12th, 2011 at 10:40 AM
Ministers Wilbert and Jacqueline Richardson
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” Jeremiah 1:5a
Alive Word wishes to congratulate all the 2011 graduates and to relay the following words of encouragement. Graduate, you are a GIFT to the world.
The day you were born, the world became a better place.
Why? Because your birth was not an accident, and no matter what circumstances you were conceived under, you are not a mistake.
You were born because God allowed you to be born.
Once you came into the world, it means that you are a child of purpose. God has great plans for your life.
You are a gift to the world. A gift is defined as “a notable capacity, talent, or endowment, something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation.” As your life unfolds you are being unwrapped one step at a time. If you can see yourself as a gift, then you know that gifts are usually wrapped in beautiful gift paper.
Whether you are graduating from Primary School, High School, College or University you are unwrapping another layer of your gift paper. As you do this, your talents, your abilities, your potential becomes more and more evident to those around you. At this point in your life you can either decide to continue unwrapping and unfolding into the treasure God has created you to be or to begin wrapping yourself into the wrong things.
The choice is yours. The way you think greatly affects how you present yourself and the choices that you make. I observed many of the photos of the prom outfits and saw that many of the high school students went all out and beyond to look glamorous, elegant and exquisite. They wanted to look their best for a night that would only be once in a lifetime.
How about taking that same attitude forward into the way you dress and your physical appearance at all times. Dressing with excellence is not all about money and name brand clothes, for simple and inexpensive can also give an elegant look. It’s all about looking and being your best. A beautiful gift is great both on the outside and on the inside. Take time to develop both your inner and outer beauty.
Whether you stay in the territory or you travel abroad, always remember that there is no limit to who you can become or how great your dreams can be for you are a gift to the world. As you move forward you will unwrap another layer of the gift paper.
What will you show the world? That all depends on you. Sometimes a gift, even when given from the heart and in an act of love is not well received. Do not expect everyone to like you or to rejoice when you succeed. However, know that as you face the realities of life – joys, success, rejection, pain, challenges – you have the opportunity to allow these things to either make you grow or make you regress.
Do not allow others to define who you are. Do not allow negative attitudes and talk to hinder you from unfolding. You are a GIFT to the world. God has already stated in Jeremiah 29:11 about His plans for your life. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God who created you knows that you are a child of promise and purpose.
If you hold fast to this promise and believe God, you will fulfill your destiny. The following is an acronym for the word GIFT:G – GOD – In order to be the best gift you can be to this world and leave a legacy behind for generations to follow, you need to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God is the one who will help you to achieve your goals, and who will guide you into the right path and lead you to your divine destiny.
Without God in your life you will take paths that would not lead you to your destiny and you will not fulfil your divine purpose. There are things that only you can do, people that only YOU can influence and help in this world.I – INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS – No man is an island and no matter what stage you are at in your life, you must interact with people. When interacting with people, whether it is family, friends, classmates, or co-workers do it with integrity and do not do things to others that you would not like done to you.
Do not forget to show love, appreciation and kindness. No matter how much you try, you cannot please everyone. Do not be hypocritical but walk in humility and be real. Try your best at all times to please God and pray and seek His divine wisdom even in little matters.F – FAITH – In order for you to accomplish your goals and your dreams in life you must have faith.
There will be times that you will be tested and challenged to the limit but God has promised never to give you more than you can bear and once you trust Him, He will always be with you. Have faith in God.T – TIME – Time waits on no man. As a precious gift to the world you have no time to waste. It is very important that you spend your time wisely.
Many have wasted time, thinking that time would wait on them or always be available to them only to find out that they bypassed many great opportunities, did not walk through many open doors and wasted precious time on things that were of no importance because they failed to realize the importance of time.
There are some things in life that only come around once. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it states “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Make sure that when God opens doors for you, you walk through them for they will help you to unfold, find your place and make your mark in the world.
We pray that God will bless you as you go forward. We pray that in all you do and say, you will acknowledge God and place Him first in your life at all times. We pray that you will not allow anything or anyone to make you doubt that you are indeed a gift to the world.
We pray that with the help of the Lord you will be the person who God has created you to be. In the midst of challenges, In the midst of social ills, in the midst of the struggles of life, may you reach your divine destiny. God bless you, graduates and congratulations once again from Alive Word.
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