A Message to All Graduating Seniors

The Secret 4 C’s of Success

Three military recruiters accepted an invitation to speak to the Senior Class of a local high school. It was agreed that each recruiter would take fifteen minutes to make his pitch. The army recruiter went first, but he spoke for more than twenty minutes. The navy recruiter also spoke for twenty minutes. The Marine Corps recruiter, realizing that his fifteen-minute speech had now been cut to about two minutes, walked to the podium and spent the first sixty seconds in complete silence as he looked over the crowd. He finally said: “I doubt whether there are two or three people in this room who could make it as marines. But I’d like to see those two or three of you as soon as this assembly is dismissed.” He turned and left. But when he arrived in the cafeteria, he was mobbed by a herd of high school students.

We love challenges – We want to do something significant with our lives. Listen for the challenges that are calling you!

I believe all of those graduating High School Seniors and College Seniors want to do something significant with their lives. Therefore, I want to share with you the secret 4 C’s of success.

First, I want to congratulate all the 2020 Graduating Seniors, and I wish you the very best as you enter into this new chapter of your lives! I know God has great plans for your life and that many opportunities await you.

And, of course, there will be challenges too. Many of you have already experienced great challenges in these last few months of the COVID-19 Pandemic where you have had to shelter at home, work remotely, do online classes, be separated from your friends, and, for many of you, forgo the parties and celebrations associated with your graduation.

But I believe and I pray that you will be a stronger person and a better leader because of this challenging crisis. In order to help you and empower you for future success, I want to share with you the secret 4 C’s for your success.

The First C – Character

“Blessed are those who keep God’s statutes and seek Him with all their heart...” Psalm 119:2

Socrates put it this way: “The first key to greatness is to be in reality what we appear to be.”

Character is who you are when no one is looking. Image is what people think we are. Integrity is what and who we really are.

To be a person of character means you are a person of your word. It means you keep confidence. You show up on time. You do what you say you are going to do. Stand up for what you believe.

If people trust your character – they trust you. Remember this – trust is all you have. If you break trust, it’s very hard to get back!

Guard your character. Protect it. Be cautious and be wise as people are always watching to see your true character. So be wise in what you say, where you go, what you put on social media and who you choose to be associated with.

The Second C – Competence

In Romans 12:8, Paul tells us to make the most of whatever gifts we have been given. Sharpen them. Perfect them.

Now, you have been doing this in school as you have been preparing yourself and sharpening your gifts and skills, but this has just been the beginning. As you move into the next season of your life, continue perfecting and honing your gifts and talents.

Now that you have graduated from High School or College, you have a great advantage. But you need to continue to grow and learn. In fact, one of the greatest lessons you learn through higher education is how much you still have to learn. So be humble. Be teachable. Be eager to learn more. Be passionate about getting better.

The Third C – Chemistry

Jesus gave us the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!”

Whatever your next chapter holds for you will involve you relating to other people. In order to be successful, you will need to further develop greater relational skills, people skills. The “Like” Factor applies to everyone. I like to work with people I like to be around. Isn’t that true for all of us?

The fact is: A successful life is all about teamwork.

If you are headed off to college or a technical school, you have hired a team of professors and teachers to teach you, train you, prepare you and pour into you.

But you must work with them as a team. And the better chemistry you have with that team, the better and more successful you will be.

If you are starting a new job, you are joining a team hired to carry out a mission, a purpose. The better chemistry you have with that team, the more successful you will be and the more successful that business will be as well.

Chemistry has a great deal to do with your attitude. So, decide now that you are going to have a great attitude. It’s been said, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” And how I react to it depends on my attitude!

The Fourth C – Christ!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Paul, Philippians 4:13

I believe that in order for your life to align the way God intends and to fulfill your God given purpose, Christ must be at the center of your life!

I love this quote: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” For me, the main thing is Christ and his purpose for my life.

Christ has radically changed my life. My last year of High School and my years in College was the season for me that God used to reveal my true purpose and mission in life. It was in the critical years between graduating High School and graduating from Auburn University that God did a course correction in my life. It was in this chapter of living life that God called me to be a Pastor. I found my “Calling” in these years as I put Christ first in my life.

I believe everyone of you has a “Calling” in life. A purpose beyond just serving yourself. Your calling may be very different from mine. You may be called to be a nurse or a lawyer or an engineer, or a doctor or a teacher or a counselor or a veterinarian or something else entirely. But I believe God has a calling for your life. And through Christ, you can discover that calling.

How can you do that as you move forward into the next chapter?

1. Be active in a Christ centered church and attend worship regularly.

2. Get involved in a weekly life group/small group or bible study.

3. Find a place to serve others in the name of Christ.

4. Spend time in meditation and reflection on and with Christ every day.

Congratulations Graduating Seniors!

Apply these 4 C’s of success and you will experience all God has for you!

Blessings,

Dr. Lester Spencer