Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Autumn 2013 | Page 50

commencementreadings
Who Gets the Grace?
Rev. Francis Chan challenges Wheaton’s class of 2013
to guard against arrogance.
by Rev. Francis Chan

The following is an

i

abridgment of
Rev. Francis Chan’s
keynote address
at Wheaton’s
graduate and
undergraduate
commencement
ceremonies,
May 11 and 12,
2013.

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f the Lord told me I could redo two
years of my life—if I could take a
mulligan—I would choose the two years
after Bible college. Hands down. I joke
about it, but it really was the worst time.
There was so much pride in my life.
You guys are achieving something
that many people dream of—graduating
from college. And it would be very easy
for you to place some confidence in
yourselves because of that achievement.
As you go on in life, every time you
achieve something, there will be more
and more of a temptation toward pride.
After I graduated, I immediately got a
job as a youth pastor. A few months later,
a woman walks into my office and says,
“Mr. Chan, I’m your new secretary.”
I thought, No way! I’ve got a secretary.
She says to me, “Can I get you a cup
of coffee?”
I thought no, but I go, “I would love
a cup.”
I hated coffee. But every day I had her
get me a cup, and I would pour it out.
I just really liked the feeling. That was
my mindset.
You know what the Bible says: God
opposes the proud. He physically,
literally does something to oppose the
proud, and yet he gives grace to the
humble. And so that period of my life
really was miserable. It took God’s
humbling and opening גW