Abundant Life Homeschooling: Part 1 - Why Consider Homeschooling?

There have been many days as a homeschooling mom where I've felt physically drained and emotionally spent.  I can’t even count how many times I’ve mentioned that I homeschool and heard,  "I just know I could never home school!” I confess that my children have learned a lot but that I have probably learned the most in my five year journey discipling my children.  It is the most effective method of parental refinement I know - in a good way.  There are rewards that can be found no where else but in learning together as a family.

If you have begun the homeschooling journey, fear of failure is NOT a sign that you should start looking for schools. I've felt the same anxiety!  As you read more in this series, you'll see that homeschooling does not have to be a torturous assignment for you or your children every day.  Did you know that God goes before you?  He prepares the way and shares his vision and insights with us.  So, what is YOUR homework?  Your largest and most time consuming task is not choosing the right curriculum, or making sure you meet the state standards or prepare for yearly testing.  No, the key to abundant life homeschooling is spending more time getting to know God intimately and learning to listen to the Spirit who guides you.  When God promised to work all things for the good for those who love him and are called according to HIS purpose, he is FAITHful in providing that.  Don't take my word for it, just start doing it and see what happens.  This is the key to finding joy, restoring joy and living joyfully.  This may not be the world's way of raising children, but note what the Bible says about the world's way:

Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." 

Did you know that all forms of education have an agenda?  I have an agenda for my kids, but I prefer to call it a vision.  Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law." Chew on that a bit.... As Christians, the single most important thing we are commanded by God to instill in our children is intimate knowledge of their creator and follow the vision he provides as we live our lives.  If we don't have a vision for our children, how can we expect to know where to aim?

Public education as it exists today (and as it was designed) is motivated by corporate necessity, a need for societal order, a place to provide the poor with basic skills, and to create like mindedness in society.  This is their vision. (Click here for my source and a great online read documenting this.)  Do you trust your children's hearts to a system that truly has a goal of instilling values apart from God's values, not to mention the distortion and selective coverage of history and God's hand in it?  We believe we're sending them to school to learn reading, math and basic skills.  Are you aware that political and social activism have taken the place of Christianity in the schools? Your values have been replaced, questioned, and filtered through the eyes of many others. Check out this recent example.

What about morality? Consider the best a public school can do to teach morality.  They can explain what "good behavior" is, but teaching morals apart from God's word is like brushing your teach every day but not being able to teach WHY you do it.  Habits and behaviors with no reason behind them are insulting to children.  There ARE reasons for morality.   Character does matter. If we want to instill integrity and deep seated faith in our children, then we must show, by our decisions, that we ourselves are going to take a stand in when it comes to 2 Cor. 10:5...

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Demolishing arguments contrary to God's word doesn't mean tolerating it as a necessary evil of education! Fear not, when we are obedient to a call, God showers great blessings upon us!