Just a Piece of Paper

Last night I attended the GED graduation ceremony at Iowa Western (the community college I earned my GED through). It was a short ceremony that was really geared more toward those who were unable to complete high school, not those, like me, who had completed high school and just needed the certificate. But there were many good points that were brought out in the ceremony. One of the speakers talked about the statistics of GED grads. Another talked about his personal experience in earning his GED. But one of the speakers said something that really stuck in my mind. He said his sister used to get on him for all his “pieces of paper”. She was referring to his different college degrees, that she viewed as merely a piece of paper. I’ve heard that same comment made that a college degree is just an expensive piece of paper put in a nice frame. The speaker brought out the fact that in a way that’s true. If, in my case, I go through the effort to earn my GED, and then do nothing with it, then that piece of paper cost me about $85 and earned me nothing. If I go on to college and earn a bachelors degree, but then do nothing with it, then that piece of paper cost me a couple thousand dollars, and earned me nothing. And if I move on from college and go to a trade school, but do nothing with that, then that piece of paper can cost me over $100,000 dollars, and earn me nothing. So if you earn your GED, use it! If you get a college degree, use it! If you get a doctorate degree, use it! Don’t let them merely be wall ornaments gathering dust, because then they truly are “just a piece of paper”.




But as I thought about his exhortation, I realized that this is also true in the spiritual realm. We have been given a Book that has lasted over hundreds of years and its message is still just as applicable today as it was when it was written. We can find comfort, peace, rest, encouragement, and ultimately salvation in those blessed pages. But merely owning a Bible is not enough. You can go out and buy the most expensive Bible there is but it will do you no more good on your shelf at home, then it did on the shelf at the store. If you neglect to read God’s Word you will not find the comfort, peace, and rest it can afford. Many times people who own a Bible get a false sense of security. The Bible cannot show you the path to life if it lies unopened on your shelf gathering dust. You must read it in order to benefit from it. But just reading it is not enough. Many go through the motions of getting their Bible out to read it every day, but do not let it affect their lives. You must read with a heart open and willing to understand and obey. If the Bible does not change your life, it will do you as much good as an unused diploma. It will merely be “just a piece of paper”.