Hey, I Know You—But Do You Know Him?
One of the greatest joys of serving in education is experiencing moments that remind us why leadership is ultimately about people. Sometimes those moments come during formal meetings, strategic planning sessions, or major school events. Other times they come from the simple, sincere words of a child.
At the beginning of a school year, I visited one of our elementary schools. The halls were filled with excitement, nervous energy, and the sounds of students settling into new classrooms. As I walked through the cafeteria during lunch time, a student noticed me and immediately smiled.
"Hey, I know you!" the child exclaimed. I stopped and smiled back.
"Oh really?" I replied. "How do you know me?"
Without hesitation, the student answered, "Because your picture is on our refrigerator, and we pray for you every night." For a moment, I was speechless. Of all the answers I expected, that was not one of them.
I assumed the child might say he had seen me at school events, on social media, or perhaps in a district newsletter. Instead, this young student revealed something far more meaningful. Somewhere in that home, a family had intentionally placed a picture of their superintendent on the refrigerator and included me in their daily prayers. I walked away from that conversation humbled, encouraged, and challenged.
As Christian leaders, moments like these remind us that leadership extends far beyond our job descriptions. Whether we serve as superintendents, principals, teachers, coaches, pastors, business leaders, or parents, our influence often reaches places we cannot see and affects people we may never fully realize. More importantly, that brief interaction pointed toward an even greater truth: knowing about someone is not the same as truly knowing them. The student knew me because he had seen my picture and heard my name. He knew facts about me. However, our conversation also highlighted the difference between recognition and relationship.
That distinction is critically important when we think about our relationship with Jesus Christ. Many people know about Jesus. They know the Christmas story. They know He died on a cross. They know He taught people to love one another. They may even attend church regularly and be familiar with Bible stories, but knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus are not the same thing.
In Matthew 7:23, Jesus spoke sobering words to people who were familiar with Him but did not truly know Him. "Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!'" Notice that the issue was not awareness. They knew who Jesus was. They even performed religious activities in His name. The issue was relationship. Christianity is not merely about information. It is about transformation through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Paul understood this well. In Philippians 3:10 he wrote, "My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection." Paul was not seeking additional facts about Jesus. He wanted deeper intimacy with Jesus. He wanted to walk with Christ, trust Christ, obey Christ, and become more like Christ. That should be the desire of every Christian leader.
Leadership can easily become focused on performance, accomplishments, and recognition. We measure attendance, budgets, test scores, wins and losses, strategic plans, and organizational goals. While those things matter, they are not the ultimate measure of success.
The most important question is not, "Do people know who I am?"
The most important question is, "Do I know Jesus?"
Christian leadership begins with relationship before responsibility. Before God calls us to lead others, He calls us to follow Him. Before He asks us to influence people, He asks us to walk closely with Him. Before He uses us publicly, He shapes us privately.
The student who told me, "Hey, I know you," reminded me that influence is often happening when we are completely unaware of it. Somewhere, a family was praying faithfully. Somewhere, parents were teaching their child the importance of praying for leaders. Somewhere, a child was learning that leadership matters and that leaders need God's help. What a beautiful picture of the body of Christ.
It also serves as a reminder that leadership is never a solo endeavor. Every Christian leader stands on the prayers, encouragement, and support of others. We need people praying for us because the responsibilities we carry are greater than our own strength can sustain. The reality is every leader will eventually face challenges that wisdom alone cannot solve. We will encounter situations that exceed our experiences, resources, and abilities. In those moments, our greatest asset is not our expertise but our dependence upon Christ. Jesus said in John 15:5, "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me." Christian leadership is fruitful only when it is connected to Jesus.
The child who recognized me because of a picture on a refrigerator left me with a memory I will never forget. Yet the greatest lesson from that encounter is not about a superintendent being recognized by a student. It is about the importance of being known by Christ and knowing Him personally.
One day our titles will fade. Our positions will end. Our accomplishments will be forgotten. However, our relationship with Jesus will remain forever. So perhaps the most important question any Christian leader can ask is not, "How many people know me?" Instead, we should ask, "How well do I know Jesus?" In the end, the greatest privilege is not that someone can point to our picture and say, "Hey, I know you." The greatest privilege is that we can stand before our Savior and hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
That comes from truly knowing Him.
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20
Mark Hedger, is the current Superintendent at Strafford R-VI Schools and director of the MO chapter of ACA. He can be reached at markh@straffordschools.net
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If this message encouraged you, you'll find even more practical ways to reflect Christ in your school throughout our book, Taking Jesus to School: The Fruit of the Spirit on Display. Together we explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can transform the way we teach, lead, and serve every day. Learn more here: https://www.victoriouseducator.com/taking-jesus-to-school
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