If you’re a graduating senior, you’ve probably been asked the same question over and over: “So, what’s next?”

Maybe you have an answer. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you feel excited. Maybe you feel anxious. Maybe you feel both at the same time. Graduation marks a major transition, and with transition often comes uncertainty.

As I reflect on my first year post-grad, I am struck by how the Lord has continued to show up for me. He has been incredibly faithful in seasons of both grief and joy. Graduating from college can bring up both of these feelings in so many ways. So, here are five reminders about God for the graduating senior.

God Is the God of the Unexpected

He loves to change things overnight for us. The God who knows and loves you is the same God who moved Joseph from prison to second in command over Egypt. Joseph waited years in prison, and then his life suddenly changed overnight. Overnight, Ruth went from a widow in a foreign place to a leader and respected mother in Israel’s royal line. Paul was changed from a church persecutor to an apostle in a mere moment.

In my post-grad year, I have even seen God change things in my life overnight. I had never expected to be working here at the CMR or writing this article, but the Lord placed this job into my life in what felt like out of nowhere! It was a surprise to me, but definitely not to Him. The Lord loves to do the unexpected for us, and sometimes all we have to do is receive that unexpected gift.

God Grieves With Us and Provides for Us

If someone has not told you this yet, let me be the first to say it is completely okay to grieve your college experience coming to an end—and the Lord sits with you in that grief. God sits with us in both joy and grief. Even though Jesus knew the resurrection was coming, He still wept and sat in grief with Mary and Martha (John 11:35).

Even in the midst of grief, God intends to provide for us. He can provide friendship, resources, peace, and so much more. By taking the time to acknowledge what God has provided for us, we can also develop deeper gratitude and understanding of what the Lord has done.

God Rejoices When We Practice Gratitude

1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This phrase has been in the Bible for over 2,000 years, and new psychological research is just beginning to point to the benefits of gratitude. Anxiety is strongly linked to the amygdala in our brain, which is the fear-response center. Research shows that in the moment we are practicing gratitude, the amygdala actually shifts from fear to safety by allowing us to better regulate our emotions (Kyeong et al., 2017). This means that practicing gratitude is actually a tool we can use to fight post-grad anxiety.

God Desires for Us to Flourish and to Have Joy, Not to Punish Us

The idea that God only wants us to pursue suffering is a lie. Sometimes, even in Christian community, people tend to associate God only with suffering. Through the process of dying to ourselves, we can internalize the idea that God only requires sacrifice from us, not joy. However, God is actually a very joyful, abundant God who wants to bless us with safety, security, structure, creativity, and community. He created us to receive these things! We are called to make sacrifices and to receive joy.

In this new season, allow yourself to receive joy and abundance. You are allowed to experience joy, and God actually wants to see you experience joy (Zephaniah 3:17; Isaiah 62:5; Psalm 16:11; John 15:11; John 17:13; Psalm 35:27).

God Is Proud of You

God is your Father, regardless of where you end up post-grad. He looks at you with love, regardless of what job you have. You are deeply adored by Him, regardless of your “five-year plan.” As you start your post-grad journey, I want to encourage you to hold verses about God’s love and joy close to your heart and to reflect on reminders of God’s faithfulness in your life and in the lives of others. Some verses that come to mind are listed below, but feel free to use the verses that resonate most with you.

Zephaniah 3:17
“The LORD your God is with you… He will take great delight in you… He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Jeremiah 31:3
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.”

Isaiah 62:5
“As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

John 15:9–11
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you… that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

A Prayer for the Anxious College Senior

“Lord, I am scared and excited. Please grieve with me and also rejoice with me. You are my Father. I trust and love You. Please provide for me in this post-grad season. I have seen how You have been faithful to me in the past and know that You will continue to be faithful to me now. Please bless me and keep me close to You. Amen.”

Sources

Kyeong, S., Kim, J., Kim, D. J., Kim, H. E., & Kim, J.-J. (2017). Effects of gratitude meditation on neural network functional connectivity and brain-heart coupling. Scientific Reports, 7, 5058. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05520-9