As a new term or academic year begins, Christian teachers and leaders have a special opportunity: not only to teach minds, but to nurture hearts with love, wisdom, and faith.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” – Proverbs 16:3

Before the classroom fills or the staff room buzzes, take a moment to invite God into your work. Dedicate your lesson planning, your students, your team—and yourself—to Him.

Here are two ways to start strong:

1. Anchor Your Plans in Prayer

Spend time praying over your school, your role, and the young lives you influence. God delights in your dedication and will meet you with wisdom and peace.

2. Teach with Purpose and Grace

Let every interaction reflect Christ’s love. Whether you're teaching content or managing challenges, lead with gentleness, patience, and a commitment to truth.

This term, your presence may be the most powerful gospel message your students experience. Let your work be an offering.

As Christian leaders, modelling the centrality of Biblical truth within our schools is not optional - it is foundational to who we are and why we lead. The Australian Professional Standard for Principals and the Leadership Profiles capture the gravity of our role well:

“The role of the principal of a school in the 21st century is one of the most exciting and significant undertaken by any person in our society. Principals help to create the future.”

But as followers of Christ, we know the deeper truth: only God creates the future. Yet, in His grace, He calls us to be co-labourers in His work, shaping hearts and minds in alignment with His purposes.

We are not merely educators or administrators; we are ambassadors for Jesus Christ, entrusted with the formation of young lives and the stewardship of a Gospel-shaped culture within our schools. This is both a sacred trust and a courageous calling.

So the question becomes — are we modelling leadership that reflects God’s truth, or merely echoing the systems of the world? Our students, staff, and communities will take their cue from us. Let them see leaders grounded in Scripture, guided by the Spirit, and courageous enough to lead with both conviction and compassion.

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Picture the week ahead: meetings, lessons, parent conversations, reports, rosters, pastoral care needs, and the ever-present responsibility to lead with wisdom and grace. It can feel like a mountain — not of just one climb, but many. And yet, this verse from Philippians reminds us that the mountain was never ours to climb alone.

Paul’s declaration, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, isn’t a boast of self-sufficiency. It’s a humble admission of divine dependence. It’s the kind of strength that shows up in the quiet moments before the first bell rings, when you’re praying for patience, courage, and clarity. It’s the strength that sustains you when the unexpected happens — a difficult conversation, a disheartened teacher, or a student in need of compassion beyond what your energy can supply.

Christian school leadership isn’t merely management; it’s ministry. You’re not just guiding staff and students - you’re shepherding hearts, shaping minds, and modelling Christ’s presence in the everyday rhythms of education. And that means your strength must come from beyond you. The Lord doesn’t ask you to be endlessly capable. He calls you to be continually connected.

As you step into this week, take time each morning to remind yourself:

“I am not leading alone. I am not teaching alone. Christ strengthens me for this very work.”

Let that truth move from head to heart. Let it shift your posture from striving to abiding, from anxiety to assurance. In His strength, your words will carry grace, your decisions will reflect wisdom, and your leadership will bear fruit that lasts.

You can do all things this week - not because of your schedule, skill, or stamina - but because the One who called you is also the One who strengthens you.

Reflection Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling me into this ministry of Christian education. When the tasks are many and my energy is small, remind me that Your strength is more than enough. Help me to lead, teach, and serve in Your power, not my own. May every meeting, every decision, and every interaction reflect Your love and truth. Amen.

This morning in my YouVersion devotional, Imposter Syndrome by Dr Aerial Ellis, one sentence stopped me in my tracks:

“He would never send you where His grace cannot sustain you.”

Let’s sit with that.

Because Paul actually said something similar, centuries earlier:

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”     2 Corinthians 12:9

This is not poetic rhetoric. This is a Kingdom principle.

God’s calling is always matched by God’s grace.

Leadership is rarely comfortable. It stretches us. It exposes us. It magnifies our limitations.

Leadership — especially spiritual leadership — puts us in environments where our natural capacity feels too small.

And that’s intentional.

Not because God enjoys watching us strain but because He delights in showing strength through surrendered vessels. God does not call us because we are strong enough.

He calls us so that His strength can be revealed through us.

Paul said — “my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Not “improvement”.

Not “potential”.

Not “competence”.

Weakness.

It’s in the places where we feel least capable, where we feel most inadequate, where we feel like imposters and that grace is most active.

Grace is the sustaining power of God — not just the forgiving love of God.

Grace is not a soft blanket. Grace is a supernatural strength.

Grace:

• expands capacity

• stabilises emotions

• clarifies vision

• empowers obedience

• sustains courage

So today — Christian leader — hear this clearly: If God placed you in this moment, in this role, in this season, in this assignment, His grace is already there with you.

You are not sustaining yourself. You are being sustained. Not by confidence but by grace.

Not by qualifications but by calling.

Not by self-belief but by Christ’s power resting on you.

So step forward again today, not because you feel strong but because His strength is made perfect in those very places where you do not.

He will not send you where His grace cannot — and will not — sustain you.