Graduation Speech: God Has a Plan for You -- Graduation Speech, Commen

In "Surprised By Joy," C.S. Lewis tells of a mistake that he had observed regarding joy or what he calls "thrills." Lewis realized that what he had first thought to be joy, was actually not joy at all because it began to fade away. He had assumed that he was seeking after the "thrill" itself. He says, "And there lies the deadly error. Only when your whole attention and desire are fixed on something else ... does the 'thrill' arise. It is a by-product. Its very existence presupposes that you desire not it but something other and outer." He realized that when he focused his attention on obtaining the "thrill" of joy, that he was actually focused on himself. True joy is not experienced when one desires joy itself, but when one has his eyes on something else. As believers, the "other and outer" that we have the opportunity to look to is God! God draws us to Himself, our soul responds to Him and in return, He fills our soul with joy. That is portrayed in the words of the Psalmist who says in Psalm 43:3-4, "O send our Your light and Your truth, Let them lead me; Let them bring me t...