There is a homeschool strategy that will both lessen our stress and increase our productivity. It is called FAITH. There are several reasons why faith works like it does.
First, it acknowledges that outside of God’s grace, we can do nothing. (John 15:5) This profession creates a vacuum of faith that the Holy Spirit runs into fill. God loves it when we live by faith because the whole concept of faith was His to begin with. When we homeschool by faith in God, it takes the pressure off us and puts the responsibility of God’s broad shoulders. Sure, we still must work at it, but we know that God will be present to be everything to our children that we are not.
For example, I cannot say that my wife and I pushed our children as hard as we should have academically, but I can say with conviction that we stressed the importance of seeking God first. In the last semester when we had five children in college at the same time, they all brought home straight A’s. It was not because of our great teaching or that they were naturally gifted academically. (I told them they were not that good, but the competition was that poor!) The reality was God was faithful even when we were not. Over the years, God made the difference.
Second, faith is manifested in obedience to God’s ways. I always marvel at how open our children are after they have been appropriately disciplined for an offense, according to scripture. You would think they would be mad and rebellious, but instead they are humble and tender so we can speak encouragement into their souls. At 61, if someone spanks me on the backside, I would be ready to fight, but this is not the way God made children. Even as we discipline our children, so God disciplines us. We too are humbled and ready to receive His guidance, so we don’t repeat the same mistake. Even in our disciplining, we must do it by faith.
Finally, faith reminds us that God is in control over everything. Although I believe home discipleship is the biblical parental normative, we still go through challenging seasons due to sickness, pregnancy, family issues, work issues, time pressures, money pressures, etc. Faith reminds us that fate doesn’t control our lives, but everything is measured by God. When He ordains a new season in our lives, He has already ordained its end as well. Long before the Hebrews went into Egyptian captivity, God had told Abraham that his offspring would be servants for 400 years. (Gen. 15:13) Things happened according to His timetable. Before the Babylonians took the Jews away to Babylon, God instructed Jeremiah to encourage the people to build, dwell, and plant for they would be there for 70 years. At the appointed time, God raised up a pagan king (Cyrus) to make that very thing happen at the prophesied time. This is our God! He creates and ends all seasons.
Faith in Christ is our secret weapon. When we realize any success comes from Him, it will take the pressure off of us and allow us to enjoy the journey, experience success, and give all glory to Him.
There are several reasons why faith works.
- Faith was God’s idea in the first place.
- Faith is a proclamation that we need God’s help; we can’t do it on our own. John says, “… Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
- Faith, manifested by obedience, recognizes that God made things to work a certain way.
Consider child discipline. I have found the best time to talk tenderly yet intentionally with my children is when I have employed discipline of some sort. They disobey. I apply appropriate discipline. I then ask them if they know why they were disciplined. (They inevitably do.) I then explain the way things work in God’s order.
Here is what is interesting. You think they would be mad at me for applying discipline, but, in fact, they are almost always humble and open. Why? I am following God’s word which says, “spare the rod spoil the child.”
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