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HOMESCHOOLING
What Does God Have To Say About It?
INTRODUCTION: The author of this Bible study homeschooled 7 children from Kindergarten through high school, including preparation for college, over a period of 16 years. God has never answered so many prayers and been so faithful in this family’s life as during this time. It is hoped that the reader will prayerfully and seriously consider all that is written.
In recent past, a phenomenon, as some would call it, has come about in the United States. It’s called “homeschooling”, and many who are involved in the public school system, whether they be teachers, professors, school board members, principals, coaches, or administrators, are opponents of homeschooling parents and students. They disagree, and some vehemently, that those who homeschool are not qualified simply because they do not have a college degree and therefore cannot possibly know the subject content necessary to do an adequate job in teaching their children. Many say that homeschooling is just an excuse for parents to keep their children out of the “system” and without proper monitoring (by government officials) children will be truant and ignorant. Unfortunately, to the disgust and sadness of parents who truly love their children and do actually teach them, that is often the case.
I’ve spoken with parents who pulled their children from public school because they were upset with the school board about a decision made that was unfavorable to those parents and/or their children. I’ve heard from parents who had no control over their children and allowed them to “say” they were homeschooling because that child wanted no schooling of any kind. There are those parents who use homeschooling as an excuse to use their children to baby-sit or clean house while they work outside the home, or even put the children to work instead. Most recently, I learned of some parents who even used “school” time as a means of videotaping their daughters and then putting those videotapes on the internet to solicit income from viewers. Yes, unfortunately, there are seedy characters everywhere who will use any means available for their own benefit. This is not what God had in mind.
These selfish and misguided parents are the ones who discredit the majority of homeschooling parents who sacrifice daily because they seriously do want a better education for their children. It’s because of selfish and ignorant parents that there are any opponents to homeschooling at all.
I agree that there are those who were themselves, unlearned as children. Should they then be teaching their own? Opponents say, “Won’t that just continue to propagate ignorance?” We will address that question later in this study.
Let me first define what homeschooling is and is not.
As most of us in this day and age have grown up, we attended some form of “public” schooling, whether it was preschool, kindergarten, grammar school, high school, or even college. We either walked or were bussed to a large building where there were “teachers” who also received some form of education via the same way they were now about to deliver it: through regimented, book-guided, school board driven, state approved, lessons that are based on the national “norm”. It left very little room for individual study and creativity let alone allowing children the freedom or incentives to expand their own personal gifts and talents.
The same is true today. Children are graded on their ability to test well against their “peers” who, ironically enough, come from other backgrounds, other cultures, other environments, other nationalities, other beliefs and a myriad of other distinctions. In some cases, the only thing found in common is their age.
The “basics”, reading, writing, and arithmetic, have now been changed to “literature and interpretation”, “essays, themes, and emails”, and NEW math which has nothing to do with “new” at all. Calculators are also allowed, but without understanding basic math concepts, even they won’t help. A calculator is only as intelligent as the person inputting the information.
History, for the most part, has excluded “why” the Puritans came to this country in the first place (which was for religious freedoms from the British monarchy and ruling hierarchy) while Geography, Spelling, Grammar, and Science, as well as other basic classes, have become all but non-existent in their purest form.
It is said that Spelling and Grammar are not really needed any longer since Spell-Checks are on every computer. Science on the other hand, has been reduced to the discussion of planets and their galaxies (which the students are now told were not created but rather were “banged” into existence), discussion about genetics and lifestyles (which also includes “alternative” lifestyles such as homosexuality, bisexuality, etc.), and teachings that encourage condoms, birth control, social psychologies and abortion.
School in general has become void of rules and discipline and instead, has become the center of emphasis on clothes, makeup, tattoos, piercings, music, fads, cliques, status, and the opposite sex. There is little respect left for those in authority any longer. In fact, most older students now address their teacher by their first name rather than by Mr. or Mrs. Whomever.
Attitude as much as anything, both about public school and within public school, has changed drastically in recent years and I dare say it has not been for the better. There is a leniency that now favors the students rather than the authority and it permeates the entire public school system. Without firm discipline, chaos rules.
As curriculum has softened to accommodate the “slower” students, scores and incentives to do better continue to decline. Homework is a thing of the past… and detention? Well… Is it any wonder why parents are now homeschooling their children more now than in the last 100 years?
Repeated national studies have been done which prove that almost half of college freshman cannot find their own hometown on a map. With the great strides made in technology, one should be able to surmise that knowledgeable school-age children would be wiser and more abundant than ever. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Students know more about what video game has the most action, which joystick gives the most options, and which website has the best music to download.
Although these are valid points and they are true, they come from a secular viewpoint. This study, however, is written from a Biblical standpoint and is meant primarily for four groups of people. First, for those who are true Christians; those who have trusted the death of Jesus Christ ALONE as complete and total payment for all their sins and are now assured of heaven. Secondly, it is intended to encourage those who are considering homeschooling their own children to trust God’s guiding hand and follow through with it. Thirdly, it is meant to remind those who are already homeschooling, as to their reasons for having begun in the first place, and to urge them to refocus on their primary goals. Finally, it is meant to explain to those who do not agree or understand homeschooling, why teaching one’s own children is so blessed by God. When all is said and done, it does not matter what I “think”, what you “think”, or what the public school system “thinks”. It is only what God “says” that will matter.
So, let’s begin by discovering who’s responsibility it is, according to God, to teach our children.
Proverbs 1:8; “Hear, my son, your father's instruction, And do not forsake your mother's teaching;”
Proverbs 22:6; “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
There are many verses, especially in the Book of Proverbs, that tell about the conversation of the Father to his Son. Throughout the Bible as well, there are numerous examples that speak about the relationship of a parent to his/her children. Mothers were to teach their daughters to be godly in dress and attitude while fathers were to teach their sons to be hard workers and providers for their families. Both parents were told to teach honesty, humility, faithfulness, kindness, forgiveness, patience, and were instructed to,…
Ephesians 6:4;
Dozens of times over many years I’ve been told the reason a parent wasn’t homeschooling was because they ‘didn’t have the patience’, they ‘didn’t have the time’, or they ‘didn’t know enough’. God doesn’t tell parents that they need to already “have” those attributes before they teach their children. He tells parents to teach their children regardless.
Psalm 78:4-7; “We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should teach them to their children, That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their children, That they should put their confidence in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments,”
Have you ever heard it said that as a teacher, it is the teacher who learns more than the students? That’s because it is true. A good teacher spends time studying, preparing, and researching information even before teaching a subject. He/she often spends many more hours preparing than it takes to even teach the material at all. Is it any wonder that the teacher learns more? If the student were to spend that same time doing the same thing, he would also learn as much. When it comes to those godly attributes mentioned earlier, the same rule applies. The parents who have now thrust themselves into the role as teacher/leader/mentor, quickly become aware of the awesome example they are required to be to their children and will want to practice those attributes even more for that reason.
A parent is always teaching their children whether they realize it or not. In infancy, the role leans more toward their physical needs, since a baby is so totally dependant on the parent for those needs, but even at that early age, the child learns the sound of the parent’s voice, and when it’s time to eat or sleep. As a child becomes more mobile; sitting, walking, eating, talking, etc.; they begin to look to their parents more and more for guidance and instruction. They listen as the parent speaks and tries to repeat what they say. They watch as the parent works and plays and tries to mimic what the parent does, often even making the same faces or copying their mannerisms. They learn who friends are and they recognize emotions like anger, fear, and happiness from their parents. Oh, yes. Parents teach their children things all day long, especially through example. It is the parent’s responsibility to be a good example for them to learn from. Another concern that parents have about public school is the aspect of discipline. Now I know there are all kinds of well-meaning medical personnel who have all kinds of what they call “medical evidence” that will tell you that tens of thousands of children now have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and other assorted initialed “diseases” all having to do with behavior. I am of the personal belief, however, that it is the parents who have ADD (All Done Disciplining). Neither of these ADDs are a disease. They are both a lack of unwillingness to do things correctly: the children lack the willingness to sit still and listen when told to; and the parents lack the willingness to continue to discipline and remain the authority over their children rather than to give in to their childrens’ manipulations and bad behavior.
God doesn’t tell anyone to do anything that they are not able to do. The 5th Commandment says, "Honor your father and your mother,…”. Children are to obey their parents. If that were not possible, God would not have told children to do it. God tells parents to “discipline” their children. Again, if that were not possible, He would not have told parents to do it. He doesn’t allow exceptions or excuses, neither by parents nor by children. God just says, “Do it.”
As mentioned earlier, most realize that Biblical punishment; that politically incorrect word SPANKING, is not “allowed” by the school system any longer, although true Biblical teaching also incorporates physical discipline. Remember, we are looking at homeschooling and teaching from God’s perspective, not from societies perspective. So, once again, let us look at what God has to say about it. (For a complete study on discipline/spanking, please see “To Spank or Not To Spank” under the TOPICAL section on this website.)
Proverbs 19:18; "Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death."
The word "discipline" here is "yasar" (Hebrew) and it means to "chasten or admonish". Discipline is a large part of instruction. Without godly, Biblical discipline, correct instruction is lacking.
Proverbs 23:13-14; “Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you beat him with the rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with the rod, And deliver his soul from Sheol”
Proverbs 22:15; "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of discipline will remove it far from him."
Proverbs 6:23; "For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light; And reproofs” (rebuke) “for discipline are the way of life."
Again, there are many verses that tell of God’s command to parents when it comes to disciplining children, some of which will be included at the end of this study. The point that needs to be made is that God not only incorporates discipline into teaching and instructing as a “part” of it, He COMMANDS it to be done because it is the crux of teaching itself. Too many parents listen to society and have come to believe that discipline is a separate entity outside of teaching. Instead, it is the foundation on which teaching is to be built.
God is a God of order. As an example, look at creation. Even in the animal world that God has created, he has set up authority and rank. Have you ever seen a lioness discipline her cubs? Yes, she lays relaxing in the sun while letting them climb all over her. She is very docile and patient at that time. However, there are times where she will even draw blood on them when teaching them a lesson about life and how to survive. Why? It is for their safety and protection. There is a time for gentleness, certainly but there is also a time for extreme firmness. That is how they learn right from wrong, and that is how they survive. The sooner they learn the lessons, the better off and safer they will be.
The same rule applies here. Without the basic knowledge of reading, once grown, a child won’t be able to read a medicine bottle to take a necessary prescription, read a map so as not to become lost, fill out a job application to provide for themselves, take a driving exam, or even have the ability to compare labels when shopping. Without being able to understand basic math, that same child won’t understand how to use a checkbook, a tape measure, a temperature gauge, measuring cups, or a speedometer. Without basic understanding of science, concepts about hot, cold, light, dark, gravity, inertia, freezing, boiling, cause and effect, and so many other necessary lessons to live by will be totally unlearned and will cost them dearly. So it goes with other subjects and topics as well.
Most importantly, however, it’s character that God is most interested in. The attributes of humility, kindness, self-discipline, compassion, helpfulness, encouragement, pleasantness, gentleness, patience, faithfulness, and self-control are what God wants parents to teach their children.
Proverbs 2:1-5; My son, if you will receive my sayings, And treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding; For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will discern the fear of the Lord, And discover the knowledge of God. So what are your objections to homeschooling? You may not have any objections at all, when you’re thinking about ‘other’ parents homeschooling their own children, but what about you? I believe I’ve heard just about all of them. Let’s deal with just a few.
“I don’t believe I’m qualified.
I didn’t do well in school myself so how would I ever teach my own kids?” “I don’t have a lot of time so I
couldn’t fit it into my schedule.” Time is something that needs to be managed. You may be working a full-time job. You may have other commitments that require your attention at the present. Or you may be using the ‘time factor’ as an excuse so you don’t have to homeschool. Be honest with yourself. Really examine your heart before God. I know of single moms/dads who work a full-time job and still homeschool their kids. It can be done if the commitment is there. As I said earlier, God doesn’t expect you to decide to do what He wants you to do, and then just leave you out there to dry. Often He waits for you to do what you know is right before He steps in to help. It’s called faith and the Bible says, “…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6) It is all a matter of priorities and what or who is most important in your life. We find a way to make time for those thing or people we care most about.
“My kids don’t listen to me so disciplining
them would be a problem.” “I don’t have a lot of money to buy
books and the things they would need.” You could have exactly no money and you could still homeschool your kids very well. You see, once again as I stated earlier, God is in the business of supplying your needs. If you decide to homeschool your kids, God will honor that and make certain that whatever you NEED will be there WHEN IT IS NEEDED. Take note of that. Sometimes our self-wanted needs are not needs at all. Think about this simple example: You might be healthy for an entire year and then get a bad cold. Isn’t it only THEN that you ‘need’ medicine? God works the same way. He will supply our needs when we need them, and He knows when that is. It’s not a surprise that He WILL supply your needs because He is faithful to His Word. What you will be surprised at is HOW He will do it. Ephesians 3:20; “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,”
“Others would just laugh at us.”
“My son/daughter is an athlete and I want
them to be able to participate in sports.” Priorities. Let me pose this question to you. What is more important: Your children’s education, or their ability to play sports? That’s not to say they can’t have both. Depending on your location and climate, participating in sports can be done all year round and it doesn’t have to be done on a public school team. There are local swim teams, ski clubs, summer Little League and Babe Ruth baseball teams, basketball teams, and sports of all kinds if you look. There are also other clubs that your kids can be involved in possibly in your church, or even Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, AWANA Clubs and so many more. Often times, in the larger cities, homeschoolers will form their own league of teams and have competitions regularly. Always keep in mind, however, that it is their education that is most important, not the extra-curricular that public schools so often focus on. Don’t be caught up in Satan’s ploy by the thinking that kids need to be on the go constantly with little or no time to learn the basics. There is time for both IF you prioritize.
“My son/daughter is a musician and I want
them to be able to participate in chorus or the school band.” The same holds true for any outside activity. There are plenty of music lessons given and competitions to enter without having to be included in the public school system. County and state fair competitions, drama clubs, and talent shows are just a few. Don’t be afraid to let your kids participate in any of them as long as they don’t compromise the standards and goals God has set for them spiritually.
“I just don’t have the patience
it would take.” Patience is something you learn through experience, not something you wait to get. God tells us to be “patient when wronged…” (2 Timothy 2:24). He says, “Love is patient,…” (1 Corinthians 13:4), “be patient with all men” (1 Thessalonians 5:14), “Be patient…” (James 5:7), and “You too be patient…” (James 5:8). Nowhere in Scripture does God tell us to wait to obey Him until we get ‘zapped’ with patience. Patience is a command of God and it is something that we learn through times of trials and testing. We are told to exercise it without any excuses and THAT is a choice. If we are impatient, THAT is also a choice.
“My children would miss their friends and
I wouldn’t want to isolate them like that.” Let me tell you something, parents. Besides the obvious, there are additional benefits that come when you homeschool your children. One of them is being able to separate them from bad peer influences by having them replaced with godly ones. After a short time, what you will discover is that those who are truly good friends to your children, the ones that have some of the character traits you want your own children to have, will continue to be good friends. Those that were only friendly with your children because of their status, popularity, or other false pretenses will not continue to seek your children out. They will continue on their ungodly way and withdraw. God knows what is in a heart, and with prayer, He will replace their friends with others who will be good, moral company and pleasing to Him. Remember, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) What you and your children will reap are friendships that are meaningful and can last a lifetime.
10. “I am afraid and have no confidence in my ability to homeschool. What if I do it wrong?”
Let me tell you this. When you are in the will of God, you can’t do it wrong because God is the one who is in control. When you choose to follow Him and do things His way, He is there at every intersection to lead and guide you. He is faithful to His children and will never leave or forsake you. Hebrews 13:5b – 6; “for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you, so that we confidently say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.” The bottom line is this: What is it that you believe is the most important thing for your children to learn? Is it the Word of God and what His will is for their lives, or is it what the world has to offer them in terms of success?
Most Christian parents say they want what God wants for their children but they prefer to straddle the fence. They also want the “success” of the world and the notoriety, and sometimes, the finances that often come with it. They are willing to compromise their beliefs and prefer to have both if at all possible. They will justify their position by saying that homeschool is probably better for most but their own children are strong enough in the faith, or grounded enough to attend public school and not be affected by the ungodly teaching and attitudes that I’ve already mentioned. They are wrong. What they are essentially saying then is that they know better than God.
The fact is, God speaks to His ADULT children (believers) and tells them to “stand firm”, “be on the look out”, and constantly warns them of the wiles of the devil. When God says it is only with difficulty that we as adult Christians will fight to stand, why would we expect our children to be able to?
God has given clear and firm guidelines to Christian parents as to what and how He expects us to bring up our children.
Deuteronomy 6:5-7; 5. "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6. "And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; 7. and you shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up.”
By refusing to acknowledge the truth of God’s Word by allowing their children to be taught by the world’s “professionals”, they are throwing their kids to the wolves and shouldn’t be surprised later when their own children also are willing to tolerate sin or look the other way rather than speak up against it. The devil is very patient and will disarm them, just as he does to unsuspecting parents over time. It is just like the example of the frog in the pot: Put the frog in a pot of hot water and he will try to jump out. Put him in a pot of cold water and THEN turn the heat on. As the temperature rises, he will not even realize that he’s being cooked to death, until it’s too late.
God warns us to “Be on the alert” (1 Corinthians 16:13 & 1 Peter 5:8), to “Beware” (Matthew 7:15, Luke 12:15), to “discern” (Hebrews 5:14), and not be willing to just have our “ears tickled” (2 Timothy 4:3) with what we “want” to hear. So, for those of you who are truly thankful for the salvation you have received through Christ; for those who are truly wanting to please God through their obedience to Him; for those who are truly willing to be in the will of God and trust Him with their own life and the lives of their children, please heed His words in Scripture. Don’t be afraid to stand in the midst of opposition. Don’t rob yourself and your children from all God can and WILL do for you. The rewards far outweigh any drawbacks you may think are there now. See the future through the eyes of God, not through your own, seemingly logical, human eyes.
Isaiah 55:8-9;
Proverbs 8:32-35; 32. "Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 33. "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 34. "Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35. "For he who finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord.
A child can never be all that God intended for him to be, nor is he able to, if he doesn’t use the mind, gifts and talents that God has given him to their fullest extent. As the parent, it is your God-given responsibility to do your absolute best before God, to cause that to happen. Be reminded that God will NEVER give you more than you can handle.
God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
Isaiah 41:10; ‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
2 Timothy 2:13a; “If we are faithless, He remains faithful;…”
As of the date of this writing, each state has its own laws concerning homeschooling. Some require that parent’s attend a sort of “training”. Others require teacher certification of the parent. Others focus more on the curriculum that will be used and insist it have state approval. Some require periodic testing by the state to ensure that the student is actually learning. Still others, such as our state of Wisconsin, require none of those things. It merely requires a yearly form be submitted to the Department of Public Instruction informing the state that the parent will be homeschooling their children. It also requires 875 hours of “sequentially progressive” teaching be done, and that “six mandated subjects” must be included. They are Reading, English, Science, History, Mathematics and Health. Periodic testing is also not required but recommended. However, it leaves the curriculum, format, and any additional subjects to be taught, left to the choice of the individual parents. In all fifty states, however, homeschooling IS legal, if the laws are followed in doing so. If you have specific questions or would like any “how-to” suggestions or ideas, or would just like additional information about homeschooling, please email the writer by contacting this website. You will be answered promptly. For a more in depth Bible study, please continue to look at the following passages from God’s Holy Word.
Psalms 139:1-5 2. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. 3. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, And art intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, Thou dost know it all. 5. Thou hast enclosed me behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.”
Psalm 78:1-4 2. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3. Which we have heard and known, And our fathers have told us. 4. We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.”
Proverbs 6:20-21 21. Bind them continually on your heart; Tie them around your neck.”
Proverbs 3:1-2 2. For length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you.”
Proverbs 4:1-2 2. For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.”
Proverbs 4:10 & 20 20. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.”
Proverbs 5:7
Proverbs 7:1-2, 24 2. Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. 24. Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.”
Proverbs 8:32-33 33. "Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.”
Proverbs 22:11
Ephesians 6:4 If you have questions or comments, or you would like any other information concerning this or any other Bible studies we have available, please contact us using the information below. www.gnbcbible.com |