"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
1 Timothy 1:7
When I feel
inadequate (which is often) to not only educate, but also rear and raise my children for the glory of God, I'm quick to remind myself that indeed I am. And, that it's in my inadequacy the ability of God shines most brightly. Everything good that I have to offer is only by His grace. In my weakness, He is strong. In my deficits, He fills. In my lacking, He is more than enough and it pleases Him when I trust Him in all things...including homeschooling. He tells us not to fear.
"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10
Question:
Why do parents worry about their children's education?
Answer:
Hopefully the answer is...because we love them! And, since we love our children and want to set them up for success (carefully defined) in life, we desire to give them good gifts in the same way the Lord gives to us. Our Father God is able to give to us parents (His children) all that we need in order to offer good things to our own children (also His children). Again, He tells us so.
"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Matthew 7:11
So, if we have a loving Father God who can fill us with all that we lack and if we love our children and desire to do them good, not harm and if we have in the Lord all that we ever need in order to have something to give, why do we still fear?
Question:
Why do so many homeschooling parents seem to be fighting fear?
Answer:
We think our children's future is dependent upon us and our abilities, but this just isn't true. Though we are responsible as parents to train up our children, we will make mistakes. We will. Yet, the will of God for our children's lives cannot be thwarted.
In spite of us, He will accomplish in their lives that which He purposes. He will!
"I know that you [Lord] can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
Job 42:2
OK, so buying in that God's will cannot be thwarted, we parents still have a complicated job at hand and we believe that the Bible has all the answers for us, right? So logistically and biblically speaking, how do we know what
to do?
Where's the homeschooling parent's instruction manual in the Bible?
Question:
Where are the curriculum lists in the Bible??
Answer:
There are no set curriculum lists in the Bible. No A Beka or Saxon by grade level. No IEW.
(Ugh...that's so not the answer I wanted. I was hoping for more of a check list type of deal.)
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Romans 12:2
When most take a monkey-see-monkey-do approach to homeschooling, following the majority, I want to know if this is biblical. It's obvious enough that we can glean from one another and we should definitely encourage one another, but what happens if the way the majority seem to be flowing doesn't work for one or all of my children...or me? What do I do then?
Question:
How does a conscientious homeschooling parent know what to do?
Answer:
Listen for the voice of the Lord who loves us and guides our steps.
(Ahh...just the sound of that brings peace.)
"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left."
Isaiah 30:20
I'm starting to get it...The diversity is boundless, just like the Lord. His plans for us all differ and even change with seasons according to His will. And, what He wants from us is trust. Jesus wants us homeschooling parents to know His voice, listen to it, and trust Him one step at a time just like we do in everything else. The thought of His firm foundation conjures up confidence I didn't know I had. Blind steps forward, trusting all the way, I think I'm ready to leap into the unknown!
But...then again, wait...that all seems so floofy and like I'm supposed to course uncharted territory or
something super scary like that. Woah, my knees are getting wobbly again...Now what?!
Question:
How do parents fight fear in homeschooling?
Answer:
Trust the Lord, our Shepherd, with all our hearts and cling to the promises of Scripture.
"In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
Take the...sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit,
with all prayer and supplication."
Ephesians 6:16-18
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6
"I [the Lord] will never leave you nor forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7
Fear is never from God. Peace is. Anxiety is not a fruit of the Spirit. Peace is. Worry isn't biblical. Peace is.
When we walk with God, abide in Him, follow the voice of our Shepherd, He is faithful to lead us and we find...peace.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Psalm 123:1-3
"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."
James 4:8
Jesus gives us peace. He overflows peace. Our response to His presence is peace...in life and homeschooling.
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."
John 14:27
The beauty of homeschooling lies in the individuality for each child. The Quantity Time we spend with our children homeschooling allows us tremendous advantage. The freedom of homeschooling allows parents to meet our children right where they are academically, emotionally, spiritually, physically, socially. Attuned parents have innumerable opportunities each day to observe and listen to our children and adjust their unique educational experience in the best ways to suit the child. These things require intentionality and all the more when we aren't following a set agenda, specific lesson plan, or particular curriculum of sorts. In homeschooling and parenting in general, intuition trumps formula, and where do we get our intuition from?
Who is it that whispers into my heart the way that I should go? The Holy Spirit. He is God and He is faithful.
"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth."
John 13:16
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
John 10:27
"Whoever is of God hears the words of God."
John 8:47
"Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Jeremiah 33:3
"And I [Jesus] will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper [the Holy Spirit], to be with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.
You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you."
John 14:16-17
To know that the Holy Spirit is ready to help me, has been sent to help me, brings peace. I cling to Him and to His words in the Word and trust that He will lead my steps in life and homeschooling alike. He will. He does. We have nothing to fear.
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."
Psalm 56:3
I think of the Proverbs 31 woman. She has no fear for her household. (v.21) She laughs at the time to come. (v.25). She is not riddled with fear, but why? It's partly because she is prepared. She has worked with willing hands (v.13) and looks well to the ways of her household, not eating the bread of idleness (v.27). This mama has put her time in! But, most importantly this woman is clothed with strength and dignity because she fears the Lord and trusts Him! (v.30) Therefore, she is full of wisdom, insight, and childlike faith.
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight."
Proverbs 9:10
"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act."
Psalm 37:4-5
In God's eyes, a woman who is clothed in a gentle, quiet spirit, and who
does not fear is beautiful and precious.
"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah...And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening."
1 Peter 3:3,4,6
Lord, help me to be like Sarah.
We need the Lord. We need His guidance. We need to listen for His voice so that we can know which way to go.
When we delight ourselves in Him, He is faithful to give us insight, wisdom, direction continually. The Lord is our Shepherd.
"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11
As we follow the voice of our Shepherd, He will lead and equip us parents to that which He calls us.
There may not be curriculum lists in the Bible complete with check lists per student and year, but there are specific ways we parents are commanded in the Word to instruct our children. We can look to indicatives in Scripture when it comes to training our children and if we are doing these things out of obedience and if we fear the Lord, the curriculum will follow. The intuition for daily choices will come. The Lord will lead us in the ways we should go. He will. And there will be confidence and peace.
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 4:4
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Matthew 6:33
With these things in mind, we parents (both mothers and fathers alike) ought to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness as we raise up our children for His glory. We should diligently train them and love them. And we should trust the Lord to lead us in the specifics of decisions like curriculum, activities, and all the various ways of learning throughout our homeschooling season, accepting that sometimes seasons change and
tides turn and He beckons us into new things.
We should not fear when we trust the Lord. Rather, we should humble ourselves before Him, knowing that He loves our children infinitely more than we ever could and though we cannot produce a perfect educational experience in spite of our best efforts, He will never fail them...or us...because He's a good God, perfectly able to accomplish His will.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them,
for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6
"For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in."
Psalm 27:10
As I mull through these thoughts in light of a new school year approaching, it's my stance to commit to trusting the Lord with my children's hearts, minds, lives,
and education. It's my desire to please Him by seeking Him and trusting Him for the outcome of all our endeavors. It's our aim to glorify the Lord with not only
what we do, but
how we do it...pushing fear aside, confident in HIM, reliant upon HIM, full of hope in HIM. These are the ways we live our days and how we fight fear in homeschooling.
Psalm 127
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame.
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
