Thursday, January 16, 2014

The Call to Teach

It has been quite some time since I have blogged. Something about raising and homeschooling 6 children during the holidays while teaching an adult class and hosting 15 family members at Christmas has made time for writing difficult to find!

Here it is January, and like many moms, my attention has moved from celebrating the past year to planning and diving into the new. While we have many new adventures on tap for 2014, my first task is planning for the up-coming school year. It also happens that education is the next topic I had been planning on dealing with in this adventure into homes of grace.

In the class my husband and I are teaching, we spent several weeks looking at what scripture has to say on education, the history of education in America, the options we have available to us and how they meet God's goals for our children.  But, I want to take a slightly different approach here.

It has taken almost 13 years of parenting for me to realize that I am not cut out for this job. I love my quiet, my space, my uninterrupted time to read, think, write and play. As an introvert, I crave these things. They fuel me. Without them, I flounder, fail, and fall. Yet, I am a military wife and homeschooling mom to 6. Peace? Quite? Uninterrupted time alone?  Haha!  They are in very short supply around here!

BUT.....I have been perfectly equipped to do the task placed before me, in the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, through the grace of Jesus, by the direction of God.

So what does this have to do with how, as Christian Parents, we educate our children? Well.....

 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 (ESV)

 "..these words that I command to you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children..." Deuteronomy 6: 6b-7a (ESV)




Scripture is very clear: every Christian parent is to be an educating parent.

Scripture has very little to say about parenting. But when it does speak about what parents are supposed to do, the priority is always on teaching our children about God: His ways, His laws, His creation, His providence. It doesn't tell us to make sure they know their multiplication tables, or can decline Latin verbs, or set up a proper scientific experiment, or write a properly formed 5 paragraph essay. We are not told to send them to college, train them for a vibrant career, equip them to be a great broadway star or NFL quarterback. We are to train them "in the discipline and instruction of the Lord".

And the job belongs to us. It does not belong to the state, the community, the church, teachers, Board of Educations, unions,....  God will hold us responsible for the education our children receive. The question that we must answer: How has He called me to do this? and What does it look like?

I think the answer is surprisingly simple: Everything our children are taught, should point them to their Creator and Savior. They should be shown His love, justice, provision and grace in every aspect of their world.


  • History is the study of His providence through out time
  • Science is the study of His ordering of and provision through Creation.


  • Reading equips them to read and study His Word and to learn about the people around them so they can better reach out with His love.
  • Writing equips them to communicate effectively to demonstrate and teach His grace.
  • Math gives them a tool to describe His order and logic through creation.
  • Foreign Language allows them to spread His gospel to those of other tongues.
  • Music and Art are forms of worship, to beautifully express His joy in a manner that crosses time and nationality.

All together, their formal education is preparing them to fulfill God's purpose and plan for their lives.

How and where the formal part of this instruction happens is the difficult part.

I believe our family has been called to educate at home - yet I am not naturally designed to have all my children at home, all the time.

I have friends and neighbors who long to have their children at home. Though they have cried, prayed and sacrificed to make it happen, God has not opened that door yet.

I know parents who do not believe they can homeschool, and parents who cannot bear the thought of their children in public school. I know parents who homeschool out of fear of what will happen to their children, and parents who place their children in public school for fear they may not do a "good enough" job at home. I know homeschooling parents who keep their children home out of obligation, and public school parents who drop their children off to be free to pursue a career.  I know parents who homeschool to control what their children are exposed to, and parents who public school to expose their children to as many other ideas as possible. I know homeschoolers who judge any christian parent who does not have their children at home, and public school parents who judge those who keep their children home. I know home school parents who rarely mention God during "school time", and public school parents who faithfully point their children to Christ through every situation.

All of these things only serve to detract from the real call: to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Natural ability, comfort-levels, fear, control, socialization, opportunities, protection, exposure, obligation, careers and on and on all become idols if they control our decisions.

We have one charge, one call - and that is to instruct them in God.

God never promised to call us to something that comes naturally. He never promised we would be able to follow our dreams. He never promised our children would be with us all the time. He never promised we would have time-off.

He did promise to never leave us or forsake us. 
He promised we can do all thing through Him when He gives us strength. 

So whether you currently homeschool, public school or private school, I have one question for you.

Are you following God's call for you and your children, or are you following something else?