“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14

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At a parent-teacher conference, I had a parent come to a humorous revolution. “He keeps saying he’s thinking in his brain,” the mom said. “What other kind of thinking is there?”

I admitted I was the culprit. It’s common for elementary teachers to tell their students to “think in their brain” to avoid shouting out answers during class. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but the mother was right. Thinking only occurs in your brain. It dawned on me how closely my students watched me and picked up on my words and mannerisms.

This isn’t a responsibility I take lightly. Being at school six hours a day, I realize the big impact I have on a student’s life. I often need to remind myself of this and consider what I want to affect.  While teaching academic subjects is important, I’d argue that cultivating character is just as, if not more, important. Our classroom becomes an important part of a child’s world, their own little community. They learn how to interact with others, life-long skills such as perseverance and problem-solving, and that their words and actions impact our community.

When I was younger, I wanted to become a missionary—go out into the world and have a big impact for Jesus. Life played out, and I ended up living twenty minutes away from where I grew up. While missionaries are needed and do amazing things for the Kingdom, I’ve learned I don’t have to move across the world to make an impact for Jesus. I can do it right here—in my own town, in my own school, and in my own classroom.

God loves His kids, and not just the little ones—but the grown-up ones like you and me. He’s entrusted us with those around us to encourage and equip them. My sphere of influence happens to be my classroom where I challenge little ones to push themselves to make their world a better place. Your sphere of influence is right where you’re at. Look around. You’re surrounded by God’s children, and they need you.

Next Steps

Make a list of people in your sphere of influence. Choose one (or more) and pray, asking God how you can support them today.