Colossians 1:10

Each year at Rosedale, we choose a theme to guide our hearts and unify our steps as a school family. This year’s theme is “Walk Worthy,” taken from Colossians 1:10. Our prayer is that every student, parent, teacher, and staff member will be encouraged and challenged to live in a way that reflects the worth of Christ — in our classrooms, our homes, our churches, and our communities.

A Picture of Vigilance and Honor

Just 55 miles south of Baltimore, in Arlington National Cemetery, stands one of the most sacred places in our nation — the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

First placed in 1921 to honor an unidentified soldier from World War I, the white marble tomb has since become a lasting tribute to the countless families who lost loved ones in battle but never had a name to lay flowers upon. Its simple inscription reads:

“Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God.”

From the very beginning, America determined that this Tomb would never stand alone. Since 1937, it has been guarded every minute of every day — through blazing summers, bitter winters, hurricanes, even the days following 9/11. Not a single moment has passed without a guard walking the mat.

The Tomb is not guarded because the fallen need protection. It is guarded because their sacrifice deserves honor. Every step, every pause, every motion is deliberate. Every detail is centered on honoring the fallen.

Walking Worthy of Christ

In Colossians 1:10, Paul gives believers this call:

“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Paul’s words were written to a young church being pulled in many directions. His prayer was that they would not lose focus, but that their steps — their daily living — would reflect the worth of Christ.

That’s our call too. If soldiers can dedicate their lives to honoring the unknown, how much more should we honor the Lord who knows us, loves us, and gave His life for us?

Four Ways We Can Walk Worthy

1. Be Fruitful in Every Good Work
For the Tomb Guard, every step matters. For us, every act of obedience matters too.

• Students: choose kindness over gossip.
• Parents: model Christ at home.
• Staff: prepare, teach, serve, and care with excellence. Every step becomes worship when it is walked for Him.

2. Grow in the Knowledge of God
Tomb Guards memorize every detail of Arlington. In the same way, we are called to know God deeply. Not just facts about Him, but a living relationship with Him. We grow as we open His Word, pray, and recognize His hand in our daily lives. This is why our first core value is Faith First — because everything flows from Him.

3. Be Strengthened by His Power
The hardest hours for a Guard are in the quiet of the night, when no one is watching. And yet they remain faithful. Walking worthy means leaning on God’s strength in our hidden hours too — during the late-night study session, the long workday, the discouraging week. His power sustains us and enables us to endure with joy.

4. Give Thanks in All Things
Gratitude transforms ordinary tasks into worship. When we remember what Christ has done, it changes how we approach even the smallest responsibility. As Psalm 100:4 says: “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving… be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

A Rosedale Family Call

Paul’s challenge to the Colossians is the same challenge we take up as a school family:

• Students — let your character and choices reflect Christ in the classroom, at home, and on the field.
• Parents — let your leadership point your children toward Jesus.
• Staff — let your service each day be an offering of worship to the Lord.
• All of us together — let us live with such dedication that the world around us sees: Christ is worth it.

The Tomb Guards walk with vigilance to honor the unknown. Let us walk with even greater vigilance to honor the Name above every name — Jesus Christ.

“Let us not live as casual Christians, but as called disciples — walking worthy of the Lord who gave His life for us.”