Principal's Ponderings

Clothed in Christ

Every morning, we all make choices about what we’re going to wear. Some of us throw on the first thing we find. Others carefully coordinate colours and outfits. And then there are people like me, who will happily admit that by Sunday night, I usually know what I’m wearing for the entire week ahead! (No judgement friends.)

Occasionally, at DCS we notice staff arrive dressed in almost identical colours and we have a good laugh about it. It seems that without trying, we’ve somehow all received ‘the same memo’. Maybe you have that in your workplace too. Sometimes even in my house we have to put rules around what we can wear so we do not match exactly before we go out in public. 

But recently I’ve been thinking about a different kind of clothing. If we put thought into what we wear on the outside, how much thought do we give to what we clothe our hearts with each day?

In Colossians 3:12, Paul writes: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

What strikes me most about this verse is how it begins. Before Paul tells us what to put on, he reminds us who we are: God’s chosen people. Holy. Dearly loved.

The character of Christ isn’t something we wear to earn God’s love. It’s something we wear because we already have it.

As parents, carers, grandparents, staff and members of our school community, we all help shape the culture our children and young people experience. Not simply through what we say, but through how we live.

And let’s be honest, some days wearing compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience comes naturally. Other days it can feel a little harder. Compassion might look like stopping long enough to ask, “What’s really going on here?” when our child is struggling, emotional or making poor choices.

Kindness might be the encouraging text message, the smile in the car park, the conversation that leaves someone feeling seen rather than overlooked.

Humility reminds us that relationships are more important than being right. It allows us to listen, learn and serve others with the heart of Jesus.

Gentleness is not weakness. It is strength wrapped in grace. It is guiding and correcting in ways that preserve dignity and build trust.

Patience may be the hardest of them all. Growth takes time. Learning takes time. Parenting takes time. Just as Jesus walks patiently with us, we are called to walk patiently with others.

One of the greatest privileges of working in a school is watching young people learn and grow. Yet I am constantly reminded that our children learn as much from what we model as what we teach.

They watch how we speak to one another.

They watch how we respond when plans change.

They watch how we handle disappointment, pressure and conflict.

They watch how we treat people who can do nothing for us in return.

In many ways, culture is simply the visible expression of the values we choose to wear every day. At Devonport Christian School, we often talk about creating a Kingdom Culture:

A culture where people are seen through the eyes of Jesus.

A culture where people are treated with the love of Jesus.

A culture where people are served with the heart of Jesus.

A culture where people are guided with the grace of Jesus.

A culture where people are walked alongside at the pace of Jesus.

Imagine the impact if every morning, alongside choosing our clothes, we intentionally chose:

• Compassion to care.

• Kindness to encourage.

• Humility to serve.

• Gentleness to guide.

• Patience to persevere.

Our children may not remember every conversation, every instruction or every lesson. But they will remember how people made them feel. They will remember the culture that surrounded them. And perhaps that is Paul’s challenge for all of us. Every day, clothe yourselves in the character of Christ. Because when we wear these virtues well, we don’t just shape our own hearts. We shape our homes. We strengthen our community. And together, we create a culture that points our children towards Jesus.

Let's wear these character traits daily, 

Chad