“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be in your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up...”
This Bible passage shows us that we parents are commanded to teach our children all the time to know and love God. It is a responsibility that belongs to parents, not to private or public schools, or even government. For a large number of families around the world (including mine), this is why they homeschool.
Home-educated children benefit greatly from the home atmosphere. We prioritize spiritual training, teaching Bible and Christian character everyday, something which you won't find in most schools at present. The Bible is THE standard upon which we build the foundation of moral excellence of our children. We believe that this is the better choice, rather than sending our children to teachers who are strangers.
In the book, “Raising Godly Kids", Harold Sala hits the nail on the head:
“The world's greatest mission field is not the vast continent of Africa, nor the highlands of Papua New Guinea nor the jungles of South Africa – as needy as those places are...The greatest mission field today is the hearts of our children. Today, forces more sinister than jungle vipers and more devastating than medicine-resistant malaria are making bids for our children. Our children are both our greatest challenge and our greatest mission field.
When I read that, I was reminded of a life-changing concept I have heard from our pastors at CCF many times, preaching from the pulpit: "As parents, our families are our primary mission field and ministry." As we homeschool each year, this truth becomes more evident to myself, and to my family. I made the transition from working mom to stay-at-home, homeschooling mom because the Lord impressed this upon me -- my God-given purpose was to raise, educate and disciple my children. Next to God, my family is my priority. Yes, my employment brought in more money for us, but ultimately, it didn't make us happy. In fact, in the final six months of my last job, I was miserable! There I was, working so hard...for what? For my family, supposedly. But if that was so, why was I treating my family like second-class citizens in the process? It was chaotic for me, but when I chose to give up my career, that was when the unexplainable peace came.
I'm pretty sure most homeschooling moms out there know what I'm talking about. But how about those of you who work outside the home? How are you, your families? How are your relationships with your husband and children? Maybe you're reading this because you CAN choose to make your family your priority, and God is calling you to seriously consider this alternative. If you're a single mom, or someone who believes she doesn't have a choice BUT to work, hang on in there! It will be difficult, but making your family #1 next to God is possible! Why? Because with God, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE! =)
