President’s Post – To our 2022 graduates, you are the light of the world

Commencement for the class of 2022 is fast approaching in Liberty University’s historic 50th anniversary, and this has been a year to remember. Many of you, like me, are probably wondering how this time flew by so fast. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was preparing to send off the class of 2021. 

Students, faculty members and staff of Liberty University, it is one of my greatest honors and privileges as president of Liberty University to commission our newest Champions for Christ.

As I gaze upon the campus in these final days of the semester, I’m grateful for all that has been accomplished this year and excited about what is yet to come. I am proud of the hard work shown by our students, the wisdom imparted by our professor, the messages preached in Convocation and the many ways these will serve to advance the kingdom
of Christ. 

Students, you must take what you have learned and all of that which you have been equipped with and wield it for the glory of God. Yours is a gift that comes with responsibility. The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Rome that “the gifts and calls of God are irrevocable.” You cannot and must not quit.

The journey ahead will not always be easy, nor will it always be comfortable. A commitment to serve Christ will merit all the trouble that the world may bring. Our founder, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr., often said that we need to learn how to live in this world because we will spend more time in the valleys than on the mountaintops. That is the only way to live victorious as a true champion. We must never forget the promise of our savior, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

If we are going to make an impact for the kingdom, we will be committed to continual growth. That means we will not be comfortable. To invoke the poignant wisdom of my friend John Maxwell who has taught us that if we want to grow, we are going to have get outside our comfort zone by stepping out in faith.  We must trust the Lord.

It is only by stepping out in faith that you’ll make an impact for the kingdom of God. And take comfort that your life, work and ministry will have eternal significance as you serve God faithfully. 

“It is only by stepping out in faith that you’ll make an impact for the kingdom of God. And take comfort that your life, work and ministry will have eternal significance as you serve God faithfully.” 

Jerry Prevo, President of Liberty University

Sometimes the most impactful message we can hear is a message we have heard from the beginning, a message from our childhood. This can be stories that we’ve learned at an early age or songs that we have sung since we first learned to sing. For many of you, this song was taught in Sunday school and Vacation Bible School: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine … hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine.”

Jesus taught us the same thing.

What he said in the Sermon on the Mount inspired that very song, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).

And to our 2022 graduates, our newest Champions for Christ, I want to tell you the same thing. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ and believe the gospel, then you are the light of the world.

And this is my prayer for you as you prepare to launch into the world. I pray that you will not forget what you were taught from the beginning. I pray that you will always remember the gospel of Jesus Christ and that you will cling tightly to the Word of God. Never forget the gospel and the Word of God. I pray that you would always choose obedience over compromise and that you would always choose courage over cowardice. I pray that you would bear the indomitable fruits of the Spirit amid great opposition.

I pray that you will always be Champions for Christ.

Prevo is the President of Liberty University. Follow him on Twitter @JerryPrevoLU