Education

For much of my adult life, I’ve been immersed in homeschooling. I began homeschooling (quite by accident, but that’s a story for another day) more than twenty years ago. Over the years, I’ve noticed something about education: it can easily become an idol. Public school, private school, home school—every type of education has pitfalls for parents. It’s easy for parents to focus on the world’s idea of what education should look like. We can become overly concerned with the three Rs and miss teaching our children about the narrow road that God says leads to life. So no matter how you choose to educate your children, remember this: the Bible promises us that students will be like their teachers (see Luke 6:40). What are your children’s teachers like? What are we like as their primary teachers? Remember, we can’t pass on what we don’t possess.

So before you ensure that your children know math and science, make sure they know that they were created on purpose with a purpose. In other words, make sure your children know how much God loves them. Knowing who we are in Christ and learning about our Creator’s heart prepares us for a lifetime of gaining not just knowledge, but wisdom.

WHEN YOU NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE BLESSING THAT COMES FROM GODLY INSTRUCTION . . .

Commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.

Direct your children onto the right path,

and when they are older, they will not leave it.

I will teach all your children,

and they will enjoy great peace.