Principal's Ponderings

Faithful not Famous

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." – Luke 16:10

Over recent weeks I have found myself noticing something rather beautiful. It hasn't been during one of our larger school events or celebrations. It has been in the ordinary rhythms of school life. The simple moments when I'm out at the start and end of the day, watching a parent crouch down at the car park to pray with their child before they walk through the gate. Seeing a student quietly include someone standing alone. Hearing a teacher gently encourage a child who was ready to give up. Watching our team faithfully prepare classrooms before anyone arrives, or volunteers serving without ever expecting recognition. None of these moments will make the 'headlines' or be seen as major moments. Yet I can't help but wonder if these are exactly the moments heaven celebrates.

We live in a culture that often measures significance by visibility. Social media, reels, news, achievements and public recognition can quietly convince us that influence belongs to those with the loudest voice or the biggest platform. As parents, we can also find ourselves wondering whether we are doing enough. Are we giving enough? Am I getting this parenting journey right? Will the small things I do each day really make a difference? Jesus gently redirects our thinking.

In Luke 16:10 He says, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." God's Kingdom has always grown differently from the kingdoms of this world. It's the upside down, opposite way of thinking and I love it. Rather than celebrating celebrity, God delights in faithfulness. Rather than asking us to be extraordinary, He simply invites us to faithfully walk with Him one day, one conversation and one act of love at a time.

Throughout Scripture in the Bible we see this pattern again and again. David faithfully cared for sheep long before he led a nation. Ruth quietly chose loyalty when no one was watching. The disciples were ordinary fishermen before they became world changers. Their lives remind us that God often does His greatest work through ordinary people who simply keep saying "yes" to Him. That is deeply encouraging for all of us.

As a Christian school, our greatest hope is not simply that our students become successful adults. We pray they become faithful followers of Jesus. Young people who choose kindness when no one is applauding. Who speak truth with grace. Who serve rather than seek status. Who understand that character is formed in the thousands of unseen decisions made long before anyone notices.

The same is true for us as parents, grandparents, carers and educators. Every bedtime prayer matters. Every conversation around the dinner table matters. Every word of encouragement, every act of forgiveness, every patient response, every choice to love when it would be easier not to, these are the quiet places where God shapes hearts. They may appear ordinary, but in His hands they become part of an extraordinary story.

One of my favourite reminders comes from the Apostle Paul: "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58).

As we continue this journey together as the Devonport Christian School community, may we never underestimate the ministry of ordinary faithfulness. God is often doing His deepest work in the moments that seem the smallest. Long after trophies fade and achievements are forgotten, lives shaped by love, humility and faithfulness will continue to point people towards Jesus.

May we be known as a community that doesn't chase recognition, but quietly reflects Christ. Because, in the end, God has never asked us to be famous. He has simply asked us to be faithful.

With faith,

Chad