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It is vital to know what education is before we try to do it
with and for our kids! But most folks, when first starting out, don't realize
this. Why? Our minds are still "unrenewed" in the idea of education.
Because we live in the culture we do, by "default" we have a certain
preconceived idea of what "education" is, even if we have never studied it. In
fact, I'd say especially since we have never studied it! But Romans 12:12 tells
us to...
"Be transformed by the renewing of your minds."
IF indeed our hearts are to be refreshed, we must first renew and re-focus our
minds. We desperately need to hear the Voice of the Lord over the voices of the
world! – and they are many and they are LOUD!... Isaiah 8:11-13 says...
"For the Lord spoke thus to me...and warned me not to walk in the way (or listen
to the voices) of this people (and the public school system is one of the "Top
10 Ways of this People!"), saying: "Do not...fear what they fear, nor be in
dread. But the Lord of Hosts, Him you shall regard as holy; let Him be
your fear, and let Him be your dread. (And I would insert: let His be the Voice
you heed!) And [if you do this] He will become a sanctuary." THIS should
produce more fear in a Christian than school officials, or scope-and-sequences!
...
WHY DO WE NOT NEED TO FEEL INTIMIDATED BY THE SCHOOLS?
And therefore why we should feel free to pull away from that kind of a system?
I'm going to give you two reasons:
REASON # 1 - What the public school system considers to be valuable in an
education is far from God's values. Let's look at JER.2:11–14: (And I'm going to
give you the "amplified version" as the Lord spoke to me between the lines...)
"But my people have changed their (educational) glory for that which does not
profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate, says
the Lord, for my people have committed two evils:
a) - "they have forsaken Me (and MY purpose of education, which I'm going to get
into in just a moment) the Fountain of living waters, and...
b) - "they have hewed out cisterns (or curriculums) for themselves, broken
cisterns, that can hold no living water."
In fact, as I'm sure you're aware, it is now law in our country that the public
school curriculum-cistern, may not hold any living water.
John J. Dumphy presented the humanist position so well that his essay was
awarded a prize. The following appeared in The Humanist in 1983: "A viable
alternative (to Christianity) must be sought. I am convinced that the
battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school
classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as proselytizers of a
new faith: A religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark
of what theologians call divinity in every human being. These teachers must
embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers,
for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead
of a pulpit to carry humanist values into what they teach, regardless of the
education level – pre-school, day care or large state university. The classroom
must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new – between
the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with its adjacent evils and misery,
and the new faith of humanism, resplendent in its promise of a world in
which the never-realized Christian ideal of "love thy neighbor" will finally be
achieved."
While this is not in the heart of every public school teacher, it is very much
at the core of the philosophy behind public schooling. (There are many books
written on this if you are yet unconvinced of this.)
REASON # 2 - It isn't fulfilling God's purposes for education. For one thing,
It's "out of context." It has taken God's purposes for learning totally
out of the context, and made knowledge itself the goal; and end in and of
itself. "Knowledge (alone) puffs up." Let's look at II Peter 1:5–7
"But also for this very reason, with all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to
virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to
perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness..."
Let's look at this verse closer... Notice that the foundation of education is
faith. It starts there and nowhere else! So another reason the public school
system isn't fulfilling God's purposes for education is that it is not founded
on the Right Thing: GOD!
Then to faith we are to add virtue. I looked up virtue, it is "morality,
goodness, chastity, purity, virginity, and modesty." Is even ONE of these
encouraged either by word, or example, or exposure in our schools?...
It is upon this foundation – and only this foundation – that knowledge is to be
added!!! And then our knowledge is to be contained by self-control, girded with
perseverance, hemmed with godliness, and proven and expressed with brotherly
kindness.
At the very heart of every homeschooling parent there must be a correct
perception of what "true education" is, as well as a desire to put that before
anything else the world tells them about education. "Seek first the
Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you..."
Webster's 1828 Dictionary definition of EDUCATION is: "the bringing up, as of a
child; instruction; formation. Education comprehends all that series of
instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the
understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and
fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good
education in manners, arts and science is important; to give them a religious
education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and
guardians who neglect these duties."
I'd like to share with you what I call "Wisdom's 7 Pillars of Education." This
is just what I have come up with over my past seventeen years of observing and
studying what "education" is. I'll include a few scriptures where appropriate.
1 - Revelation of the Knowledge of God and His Will - "We... ask that you may be
filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God..." (Col. 1:9–11 NKJV)
2 - Closer Relationship With God - "The one thing I want from God, the thing I
seek most of all, is the privilege of meditating in His temple, living in His
presence every day of my life, delighting in His incomparable perfections and
glory. There I'll be when troubles come..." (Psalms 27:4–5 TLB) "And now, just
as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day's (homeschooling
and child rearing) problems; live in vital union with Him. Let your roots grow
down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him." (Colossians 2:6–7 TLB)
3 - Preparation for Roles in Life - (This one is obvious.)
4 - Preparation for (Specific) Life Calling/Purpose - "If anyone purifies
himself from what is ignoble, then he will be a vessel for noble use,
consecrated and useful to the master of the house, ready for any good work." I
looked up "ignoble" and it means "dishonorable, evil, common; which equals
average, standard, traditional, conventional, familiar, customary." (II Timothy
2:21)
5 - Character Development - "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather
than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those
who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11 NKJV)
6 - Basic Foundation of Knowledge to Function in Society - (I couldn't find this
anywhere in the Word, yet it seems to be universally accepted wisdom and "truth"
and, quite frankly, "a very high place" in our society. However I did find the
following references that give specific guidance for gaining knowledge:) "Do not
let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and
shallow answers built on men's thoughts and ideas (empty deceit), instead
of on what
Christ has said... He is the highest Ruler, with authority over every other
power." (Col 2:8–10)
7 - Equip with Tools to Learn for Life - (Again there isn't really a verse for
this, but it is a biblical principal. See Wisdom's Way of Learning for specific
and in-depth teaching in this area.) If there is one verse that sums up my
philosophy of education, it is EPH.2:10: "We are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we
should walk in them." As parents, we get to cooperate with God – the
God of the universe who created each and every person for a specific
purpose, not just generic purpose – in helping Him prepare each one for
those specific good works that "God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in
them." THIS IS AT THE VERY HEART OF TRUE EDUCATION. AND A GENERIC,
COOKIE-CUTTER, ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL EDUCATION WILL NOT PRODUCE THE FRUIT WE WANT,
OR PREPARE SPECIFIC PEOPLE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
But we cannot do this of our own strength. If we don't have a passionate love
for God, we don't have any fuel for our vision. Nor we have anything of true,
lasting value to pass on to our children.
I firmly believe that an intimate relationship with God is what
constitutes the ONLY SOIL HEALTHY ENOUGH for all our head knowledge to be
planted in and grow from. Planted in any soil or on any FOUNDATION other than a
solid, living relationship with the Living God, knowledge will only turn
rancid and/or be barren and fruitless. "For no other foundation can
anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ..." (I COR. 3: 11)
Without a deep, passionate love for God, the One from whom all knowledge came to
begin with, education is like clanging cymbals – noisy and pointless.
God wants to free up His people to follow His leading for how to
homeschool; not just ask Him which Christian curriculum to get.
I believe with all my heart that God has a unique plan for each student – a
"river of living water" that He wants to release and unfold to each parent and
student as they seek His will for these vital years.
But we are not free to receive this plan until we are willing to lay down our
"old" ideas of what education is and let them "vanish away". He may very well
give us back portions of what we had in mind, and we can certainly glean
from those in the professional teaching business, but I do not believe they are
the final authority when it comes to defining education. God is!
And we need to hear HIS Voice above all the others!
And we really can hear His voice!... In fact, it's actually a very basic aspect
of being a Christian, not something just for the "spiritually advanced"!
Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
(Jn.10:27)
And this isn't just for "religious" stuff! If hearing God doesn't have to
do with REAL LIFE, then it's pretty useless. But God is totally practical, and
He wants to be an integral part of our daily lives, not just in our
"churchy" activities.
Without God, "good things" can still be done for mankind, but I want a
vision for my family that will have eternal value. I want them to be
discipled to Jesus, inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, and used and
directed by the Father as part of the whole process.
Simply because of the culture we live in, we can expect that there is more "old"
in our thinking our styles of teaching, and our attitudes than we are probably
aware of, things that God wants to transform, and maybe some that He just plain
wants to get rid of.
But "the old" seldom dies a quick, easy death! It takes time. You may need to
allow God to take you through what I call a season of re-education and renewing
of the mind – a season drawing close to Him for the purpose of letting Him do
the needed work (surgery) in your heart. I recommend a number of resources for
such a season, or you may already be in such a season, totally led by the
Lord – knowingly or unknowingly.
Some of us may need a "heart transplant" into God's way of thinking.
Psalms 92 says: "For they are transplanted into the Lord's own garden
and are under His personal care."
No matter how uncomfortable the idea of "change" might seem to you, I assure you
that you will reap wonderful, deep, lasting fruit from doing so... "For the
moment all discipline (correction, change...) seems painful rather than
pleasant; but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who
have been trained (RE-trained or re-FOCUSED) by it." (HEB.12:11)
ALLOW God to do His work it in you! We can't do it ourselves; we don't have the
keys or the power or the wisdom, but He does!
Fear and burnout have the same root; to be released from either, we need to
begin with a heart transformation, which begins by focusing on Jesus:
"We know this, that when we see Him, we shall be (think, see, act) like Him, for
we shall see Him as He really is."...
This is one of the most mind-baffling but exciting verses to me! It was
actually a breakthrough for me! The more we focus on God, His ways, His ideas,
His vision, His goodness, and His character, the more we become like Him. Just
by looking at Him! "Like Father, like son. Like Father, like
daughter!"
Jesus said: "Let not your hearts be troubled (about education, or tests, or your
kids' future...), neither let them be afraid." (JOHN 14:1)...
Why did He say this? Because there was nothing to be afraid of? No, there's
plenty to fear in this world! He said it, and continues to say it to us daily.
And there are two good reasons we can believe this...
1) because He is Lord in the midst of our fears! – not once they've passed away!
He takes care of us! And reason #2 is that
2) He is bigger than ANY of our fears! "Greater is he that is in you than he
that is in the world," which includes in-laws, scope-and-sequence designers, and
school officials! (1 Jn.4:4)
Once we have allowed God to deal with our fears and take us to this place of
freedom and refreshment, we will be free to hear His voice, and therefore free
to pursue His way of educating our children, and therefore immune to burn-out –
because we are carrying HIS burden, which is light; and wearing HIS yoke, which
is easy.
It is very simply NOT God's heart for His children to live in fear or reverence
of anything, except HIM! Not: instructional objectives or scope-and-sequences,
not fear of college, state law, or SAT's, not fear of man – including
(again) in-laws, school officials.
God's peace and direction for the education of your children are yours just for
the asking! If you know God, you have access to all wisdom and knowledge – not
just "generic" knowledge, but very specific knowledge of what to do with and for
your children...
"IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM (yes, even about how to homeschool), let him ask
God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be
given him." (James 1:5)
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Texas
Home Educators
