Building A Foundation That Lasts

There are some well known and some not so well know Christian leaders who have the mindset that no christian children should attend public schools. They believe all christian children should be home schooled, and if that's not possible they should be enrolled in private christian schools.

Their contention is that all public schools are filled with humanism. As a result, all christian children who attend public school will walk away from the Lord. I agree with them that public schools do teach humanism. But, many private christian schools do as well. That stuff has been brought right into the church, believe it or not. I have nothing against home schooling, but that's not for everyone.

Too many times, in the world of christendom, the church tries to make it seem like one size should fit all. But, it doesn't and it never will. Let's face it, home schooling a child does not guarantee they will have a thriving relationship with Christ.

The best way for parents to encourage their children to follow Jesus, is to help them build a solid foundation in His Word. That can start on day one of a child's life. A good place to start is reading the scriptures to your infant. Despite popular belief, babies understand a whole lot more than they are given credit for.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9, says Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Parents are to disciple their children in the things of the Lord, most especially His Word. I think this scripture text makes that pretty clear. You may say, that's old testement and it was for Israel. And you would be correct to say that. However, the Lord was telling parents how to raise their children to believe in Him. This definitely carries forward. The Bible also says that children are a heritage to the Lord. They are only His heritage if those children grow up believing in Him, and the fact that the scriptures even say that, implies that God wants children to grow up believing in Him.

The more that children are exposed to God's Word, the more they will understand and want to hear it. The more that children are exposed to God's Word, the stronger their moral compass will be. The more they are exposed to God's Word, the less likely they are to pick up on worldly ideas like humanism.

And let's face it. Humanism is everywhere, you will even find it in most churches and christian universities today, even though it is usually very subtle. Chances are the place you work is filled with it as well. So children will be exposed to it sooner or later. If a child is totally secluded from the real world, he/she will more than likely fall flat on their face on the day they are ultimately exposed to it. Like it or not, that day is coming.

I would rather my child be exposed to it while I can still influence him, than to wait until a time when he is no longer under my roof, where I can no longer have the same level of influence or encouragement in his life.

I believe parents have to educate their children in a way that is best for them. Children are all different, and as parents we need to find the best fit for each one, whether that be a public school, a private school, or home schooling.

But no matter which option you pick, it is up to parents to teach their children the Word of God and how to apply it to their lives. The best way is for them to see us as parents living it out before them. But, we as parents need to study the scriptures for ourselves first. This is the only way your child will have a solid foundation in scripture