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#Hastags are often seen on Instagram and Facebook. Many times, people are sharing pictures of their weekend away, new car or coffee out with friends and will use the popular hashtag #Blessed. I enjoy seeing updates from my family and friends on Instagram. Still, I believe that we focus too much on our own needs and pleasures being met, and the word ‘blessed’ can quickly be taken out of perspective. I am guilty of this. We need to continue to remind ourselves how blessed we are in Australia: we live in a country with amazing freedoms, resources and opportunity. We also have been blessed to be a blessing to the world. Are we using resources and our time to bless the world? So often, we quickly lose perspective: looking at meeting our own needs and not having a biblical view of how we should be blessing others. When speaking of blessing others, Mike Pettingal writes “Augustine told us we can enjoy God’s blessings, but we must share them in God’s name: ‘Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.’ We must use God’s resources for what they were intended: God’s glory in the world.” On the weekend, I ventured into the city for Christmas shopping for my family before the busyness of the holiday season starts in a few weeks. When I got home and sorted the presents out, I was reminded that I need to be intentional in serving and blessing others, not just my family or for my benefit. God has lavishly blessed us, and as we read in God’s word, we see that Jesus’ life was the ultimate sacrifice for us. Tim Keller writes, “Because Jesus served you in such a radical way, you have a joyful need to serve.” As we look at finishing the school year in four weeks, I encouraged our students on Monday to strive hard to finish well and to be intentional in being a blessing to others. Students may bless others by opening a door for another student, letting another student go in front of them, washing up the dishes at home without being asked, cleaning their parent’s car, writing a thank you card to someone or donating to our Food Drive. There are so many ways we can sacrifice resources and time to bless others. I pray that we will be a school community that look to Jesus to bless others in our community, and the world, intentionally. The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
Miss Bethany Armstrong - Principal
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