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by Mike McHugh
Christian home school parents are often preoccupied with the noble duty of training their children to have godly dominion in the world. Such parents commonly make great sacrifices on behalf of their children involving tremendous commitments of time, energy, and money. It is common to see Christian home educators spending time on everything from sewing and math classes, to computer clubs. No expense is spared as these parents accumulate mountains of first rate texts, videos, encyclopedias, and science equipment while setting aside a special sum for their student’s college fund. In so doing, Christian parents such as these have indeed fulfilled their primary goals as home educators. Right? … Wrong!
It was Jesus who asked, “ For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Very often, parent educators become so preoccupied with the task of preparing their children to live in the world that they neglect to prepare their children’s souls for eternity. In light of the thought provoking question of Christ previously mentioned, perhaps more home schoolers need to reevaluate their teaching priorities! Although parents should not feel like they need to apologize for taking seriously their duty to prepare their children to assume godly dominion in the world, they must also realize that this goal is secondary to the vital business of training them to be prepared for the world to come.
Too often, those of us in the Christian home school movement get ourselves caught up in the same worldly mindset as secular educators as we strive to conform our children to the image of this world. We fuss and worry about whether our children will be ready to fit successfully into this world, while rarely being concerned if they are ready to face a Holy God! This sad but familiar case of misguided priorities will never be acceptable in God’s sight, for it stands in contradiction to the biblical view of the Christian life. Paul the Apostle tells us in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
An interesting story is told by a well known Constitutional attorney, William Ball, regarding special testimony that took place during a landmark Supreme Court case that centered upon the issue of state control over Christian education. This 1972 case is known as Wisconsin v. Yoder. During the court case, an expert witness by the name of Dr. John Hostetler was being cross-examined by a hostile attorney regarding a Christian school’s alleged inability to provide students with educational experiences that will prepare them for life “in the real world.”
The young and cocky prosecuting attorney verbally harassed the witness for several minutes until he finally came to his main question. The attorney loudly asserted, “Come on now, Dr. Hostetler, isn’t compulsory government approved education necessary for kids to get along in the world?” After a long pause, Dr. Hostetler responded, “That all depends upon which world you are talking about.” This rather dramatic response helps to clarify the fundamental difference in attitude that should exist between Christian and secular educators.
Christian educators must realize that an educational philosophy that equates success with earthly gain will prove to be an eternal stumbling block to children. All individuals who are engaged in the important work of imparting knowledge to children must remember that young people need more than intellectual development; they need godly wisdom or the ability to use knowledge in light of eternity. The chief goal, therefore, in our efforts to educate youngsters must be to bring them to the point where their thinking and reasoning powers are profoundly influenced by biblical principles. The master teacher, Jesus Christ, taught people by reasoning with them out of the Scriptures --- not by overwhelming them with His intellectual superiority. In just the same way, we must diligently train our children to filter all of their worldly knowledge through the truth of God’s Word. Brute knowledge alone in the heart of a child will only tend to puff him up with pride and cause him to be arrogant. Give a youngster knowledge with godly wisdom and then the child will be ready to face this world as well as eternity.
The Bible and the souls of men are eternal creations. Everything else will rust and fade with the passing of time. Home educators, therefore, would do well to place their greatest priority on building up the souls of their children through the ministry of God’s Word and Spirit for eternity.
Copyright 2007 Michael J. McHugh
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