Paul W. Lambert, the director of the Religious Initiative at Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute, gave his devotional titled, “Go Forth with Faith” at BYU-Idaho today. In his message, he emphasized to students the importance of faith and having a Christ-centered life, especially as they prepare to transition into the world beyond university life.
“The greatest success, joy and peace you can achieve, in any context, be it personal, educational, professional, social or otherwise, will come as you put Christ at the center of your life,” he said.
Reflecting on his own personal experiences, Lambert shared his journey from being in a faith-affirming environment at BYU, to moving and having a diverse and oftentimes challenging professional life in Washington, D.C. He acknowledged the fact that sometimes it can be hard to maintain one’s faith in an unsupportive environment. He encouraged students to put in the effort, as he believes they will see much success come from it.
Lambert encouraged students to also consider their divine potential and purpose. He wanted to remind them of their eternal significance and quoted BYU-Idaho’s President Alvin F. Meredith III, who in his own devotional said that graduates will go beyond the school with a duty to build, lift and inspire those around them.
“As you consider what will bring you true success, joy and peace, please remember why you are here and what our Heavenly Parents and Loving Savior see in you,” he said. “Please remember the trust and inspired expectations your leaders have in you. Please remember your divine potential and purpose, and that it is through Christ that it can be realized.”
When addressing the many challenges of living in a world with many conflicting voices, Lambert quoted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ President Russell M. Nelson, asking students to counsel and let God prevail in their lives. He shared some of his own experiences, including a lesson he learned from his father’s illness, which taught him the profound peace that comes from placing one’s life in the hands of the Lord.
“The most important thing to (my father) was being aligned with the Savior, Jesus Christ,” Lambert said in an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio. “He knew that whatever the outcome (of his illness), that it was most important to be aligned with the Savior. That’s the only place where there is promise, where there’s peace, where there’s something that we can depend on, that we can have confidence in. And that was such a lesson to me.”
Lambert concluded his devotional address with the powerful reaffirmation that where students can find the greatest success and joy in their life is through the Savior. He invited the audience to put Christ first in their lives and echoed what he finds is true fulfillment that comes from having a Christ-centered life.