Your pictures tell a story. Take your driver鈥檚 license, for example. Although most of you have only had one photo taken so far, in time, you will have quite a collection of driver鈥檚 license photos (as I do) that tell a story of your life over the years. Guess which photo of mine was taken when I was at the DMV with three two-year olds on a windy day? Yep, there is a story about that day, and it represents a specific time in my life (as wild and crazy as it can be with three two-year olds)!

There are lots of metaphors for what is ahead for you. You will go through different 鈥渟easons of life.鈥 You will enter in and out of various 鈥渃hapters鈥 that will create your life story. You will travel down a myriad of 鈥渞oads鈥 that will have a profound impact on your life. Pick your metaphor of choice; life is organic, ever changing.

But let鈥檚 go back to the driver鈥檚 license. This little plastic piece of identification represents us. You will find each photo taken over the upcoming years will reflect a particular part of your story. Yet, in reality, it is only representing the physical you. Wouldn鈥檛 it be interesting if your driver鈥檚 license showcased a picture of your heart? What would it look like the next time it is 鈥減hoto day?鈥 And what would it look like the time after that? And the time after that?

My dear students, you have the privilege at Biola of being fed amazing spiritual truths on a daily basis. Your diet is rich. However, the heart work is your responsibility; it鈥檚 not the chapel team鈥檚 or the Bible professor鈥檚. Is Bible homework your only 鈥渢ime with God?鈥 Your walk with God doesn鈥檛 automatically come with your diploma from Biola. It begins with the daily habit, the daily discipline, of spending time with the Lord in His Word and in prayer. Begin these habits now. They will help sustain you in the years ahead and you鈥檒l be amazed with God鈥檚 faithfulness.

Aging is an odd thing. When I was your age, I thought older people were, well, old. If they looked old, dressed old, it was assumed that they thought old and was just part of the package. Now that I am aging I see the fallacy in this thinking. The outside package changing doesn鈥檛 necessarily alter who you are on the inside. What changes on the inside depends on the heart-work you do throughout the upcoming years. It鈥檚 how you respond on the inside; it鈥檚 who you seek; it鈥檚 where you lay your fears, your dreams and your disappointments; it鈥檚 what you believe to be truth 鈥 these are the things that change you on the inside.

I am grateful that in all the seasons, chapters and roads ahead of each of us, one thing never changes: our God. He is always faithful, always good in all His work, and always surrounds us with His steadfast love. What a great way to frame whatever comes our way.

The time you spend seeking God, day in and day out, strengthens your heart. It鈥檚 what will develop you, with the work of the Spirit, into a strong God-fearing woman and God-fearing man who is steadfast in their walk with the Lord -- whose heart is vibrant and healthy.

So, what will your heart photo look like when you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond?



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