"Go and do great things.” We hear stuff like this at graduations. I heard it last night. It’s an appropriate blessing, I suppose. “You made it. You did it. You graduated. Now… go and take all that you have been taught… all that you have learned… all that ‘we’ have collectively poured into you and prayed over you... and do great things.”
My favorite Bible verse is Matthew 5:16. “Let your light so shine among men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
I love this verse because it’s limitless. There’s no set guide or measurable rule that defines “good works.” Jesus simply states, “You are the light of the world… Now, let your light shine.” Let it shine in such a way that when others are touched by it; when others are benefitted by what you do, how you do it, and why… they see it as a reflection and a radiation of something bigger. Someone bigger.
If you’re going to be a doctor, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a teacher, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a plumber, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a performer, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be an athlete, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a soldier, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a mechanic, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a pilot, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a pastor, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be an accountant, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be a mom or dad, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be an electrician, let your light so shine… If you’re going to be an artist, let your light so shine…
One of the things I have learned over the past few years is that “great things” do not have to be grand things. Simple stuff… small acts… make a big difference all the time. We do not have to do world-changing feats of amazingness to change the world. We’re changing it with every breath. YOU are changing it every day.
So, no matter what you do, where you go, or where you might find yourself wondering what’s next… Go and do great things.
Shine.