This blog is not just for Seniors. It’s for High School Seniors, Rising Seniors, teens of all ages, or even Seniors from years ago. In other words, it’s for everyone. I think this Biblical advice is relevant for all ages but especially for those graduating and entering a whole new phase in life. So here it goes:

Dear Seniors (and everyone else),

I know you’ve heard it all. “This is the first day of the rest of your life.” “Congratulations! Welcome to the real world!” “Your future awaits you!” And of course, “God has a plan for you just stay close to Him!”

I could sit here and tell you all the same things and more, but I’m not. Instead, I want to give you Biblical advice for the future.

First of all, “this is the first day of the rest of your life” is kind of crazy when you think of it. The day you were born was the first day of the rest of your life. Even before that, God had a plan for your life and knew it from start to finish.

Second, “Your future awaits you” well sort of but as we speak, your future is happening. Every step you take is one step further into the future. The future won’t just “wait” for you. It’s there whether you are ready or not. My advice to you is to look to the future by looking to God. Don’t look to the future and look for dollar signs, your future Mr. Right, or anything else – just keep your eyes on God and your future will become the future He has planned for you.

And “God has a plan for you.” I love this one because it always is true. No matter what stage of life you are in, graduating, getting married, getting a job, growing old, etc., this statement will always be true. God had a plan for you the day you were born. (even before you were born He knew the plans for your life)

There’s an old hymn that goes, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives.” If you grew up in a Southern Baptist Church, I’m sure you’ve heard the song. In my mind, I can still hear every word to it just as I can “Amazing Grace.” In his 80s my Papa would stand in the choir with tears in his eyes and sing this song without ever once looking at the hymnal. He knew every word and I know he believed them just as much. Every night, he would bow beside his bed and pray, every day he would thank God for giving him another day to serve Him. He was a Christian example that I will always look up to. He passed away almost 2 years ago, but his life forever changed mine.

I want you to look around you as you grow up, who do you see? In your life, from here on out, you’ll see WAY more people than you did in High School. You won’t see the same faces every day, and believe it or not, you may never see them again. Life gets busier and I pray that you’ll use every chance you get to be a Christian example to others.

So who do you see around you now?

At my age, I see my husband and my children, my co-workers and a bunch of patients that come into our office each week, my extended family, and my church. Outside of my direct view, I see strangers walking through the grocery store, neighbors that I don’t even know their names, and thousands of different people on the road or in passing that I may never see again.

What kind of influence am I making on them? At night, they can’t see me kneel with my children and my husband to pray. In my private time, they don’t know what how much time I spend studying the Bible. So what do they see when they see me? In the brief seconds they see me in passing, what do they see?

Ask yourself the same question every day. “What do people see when they see me?” If your answer isn’t Jesus, you need to really think about what matters most in life. The Bible says we are to be like Christ. In 1 John 2, the Bible says, “3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

When you look in the mirror, who do you see? When life gets busy, it’s hard to see God. You get distracted, you get busy, and you just don’t have time to slow down and spend time with God. My advice to you is to never get too busy for God. I pray that God will place people in your life that will see Jesus in you and forever be changed by your influence. Be the example that my Papa was to me, and don’t wait until you’re a grandparent to be an example. I know, most testimonies go something like this, “I was close to God as a child, I grew up and left God for a while to party in college, do drugs, or something crazy like that, and then I came back to God and now I’m amazing following Him.” Your story doesn’t have to be that way. Your story can be greater by the influence you can make on others in college, in life, and in this world just by being like Christ always.

It’s a challenge, a daily challenge to wake up and be like Christ, but if you pray and you stay close to Him, in His Word, and living for Him by His commandments, you can do it!

I want you to know I’m praying for you, and I’m here for you! You can always message or call me anytime! College, school, life, work, whatever stage of life you are in, I’m just a phone call and a prayer away. Send me a text and I’ll pray for you! (864) 915-8094

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

Kayla Rampey