Becky’s Tips: Eternal Perspective
Dads, Moms and First Things
Day after day you energetically follow your schedule with a great desire for each child to know the math, language, history and science that is planned for this school year.
Diligence in this:
Real learning
Understanding lessons
Timely working
Goal keeping
is a good part of a great home school.
For many of my days (I’m fearful it is with yours too!), my goal is to finish what is assigned for today (or at least try to) and be grateful for what was accomplished.
But… how can we encourage one another to think of making school real and life giving, the kind of learning that impacts eternity? How do we develop in ourselves, and those around us, a hunger for knowing what God is pleased with? How do we see ourselves in terrible straits if we are without Christ and His work for us? How do we continue to see our NATURE at work and Christ at work in us? How does all of this affect school?
Ponder these questions and share your thoughts.
Here are some of mine:
The Dilemma:
We know that in the end the ONLY thing that matters is, “am I prepared to meet God?” That preparation is very specific (Christ alone) and our entire “forever” depends on it. How, how indeed, could anything, anyone, or any place be more valuable to study, learn, read, memorize, and live than that?
Yet we must function in this time and space that God has appointed for us. To function well we need to know our culture and how it works… hence, reading, math, science, and history among much more.
Some help for this Dilemma:
Be real. Be seeking to know God and enjoy an intimacy with Him.
Admit struggles but declare victory because of God’s power.
Believe that the Holy Spirit to your school. Tell Him you want His input.
Choose a verse to repeat, repeat, repeat. Meditate on that verse. Talk about what it means. Change verses when it seems necessary, rather than just every Monday.
Talk about church, fellowship, belonging, loving, serving, encouraging. Get excited to get together.
Be connected. See God, His goodness, His justice in every part of school. Do it in an open, life-giving way, not plastic add-ons!
Eliminate what can’t fit God in.
Thank God often for academic opportunities.
See the marvel of academics and creation and the ONE Creator.
Be strategic.
Plan your read-alouds to encourage character that fits with loving God.
Enjoy breaks and walks to sing or talk together for fun and joy.
When a connection is obvious, declare eternal truth in each or any lesson.
List what you want to declare about God, His Word, His plan. Then use that list as a guide to bring Him into lessons, birthday parties, ball games and more.
Be diligent.
Realize that excellence in academics will not hinder nor compete with knowing God but will challenge all to know Him more fully.
All of excellent academics will conform to God’s ways and Word.
War
As we reckon with the great war that our old nature and new nature fight constantly, let’s face it with help from great books.
I've already shared these but they are types of “must” reading:
Dangerous Journey or any Pilgrim’s Progress books. Watching Christian take his journey gives us much discussion for trials that we face - and how to triumphantly face them.
A War for Mansoul Ethel Barrett’s retelling of Bunyan’s classic. Follow Mansoul through his war and see yourself winning in the end!
The Gods Must Be Angry (an OMF booklet) gives an excellent real story of the powerlessness of false gods.
I like knowing about life changing books but remember they are only life changing because they teach, explain, illustrate the ONE BOOK, God’s Word, the Bible.
Ask God to give you increasing hunger for Him and His Word to you.
Child Training
What a comfort we can receive if we can grasp God’s plan for child training.
Scripture shows us:
God loves us. Us - my child and myself!
Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ… by grace you have been saved…” Will He try to deceive us or trick us as we labor in training our children? No!
God instructs us.
Deuteronomy 11:18-20 “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Does it matter enough to us, to do it so diligently?
While this is Old Testament teaching, we see its never failing value as Paul in Timothy writes:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” How tempted I am to read books and ask others for my answers when God, in His word, has given such complete training and answers.
God designed us.
Read God’s words to Abraham, now surely passed down to us:
Genesis 18:19 “For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has promised him.”
God has chosen that parents will be the ones who are responsible for training their children. Do it and also delight in Joel’s words: “Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children and their children to another generation.” (Joel 1:3)
This, dear Moms, is our goal!
Be encouraged
If you were to stop by my house and ask me to share a word from my heart, I think it might be that:
While the enemy works to destroy and discourage your entire family, God’s plan will not fail.
You have been chosen by God to guide, instruct, correct, train and delight in each child God gave you. Each child is created in the image of God, for the purpose God plans. As God has chosen you so He will equip you, filling you with His Spirit.
You are:
Chosen
Equipped
Therefore you are capable, even in trial, to do all that God assigns you.
Romans 8:37:
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”