Awakening Faith: Hope From the Global ChurchSample

Living Out a Legacy

In Abuja, Nigeria, Theodora pulled me aside with tears in her eyes. She confessed she had almost resigned from her role as principal. Enrollment numbers had fallen. She couldn’t hire the faculty she desperately needed. She felt like a failure, like she’d missed her calling.

But as the week unfolded, something shifted. God met her in her doubts. He reminded her of her true calling, not just as an educator, but as a developer of leaders for the next generation. She began to see that the struggles she faced weren’t signs of disqualification but invitations to grow as a leader.

When Theodora returned to her school, she carried more than new strategies. She carried a renewed vision. What had felt like the end of her story became the beginning of her legacy. God had turned her doubts into a deeper calling.

Paul once spoke similar words to Timothy, a young leader who battled fear and uncertainty: “Fan into flame the gift of God… For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” The same Spirit who strengthened Timothy (and Theodora) is alive in us today.

Are you seeing your challenges as disqualification or as preparation for the vision God has entrusted to you?