Education -Noun
The purpose of education is to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed and reasonable decisions, to reach the level of maturity needed to be a successful adult.
My standards for being a mature and successful adult are the following:
1. Living a life surrendered to Jesus Christ and continually growing in Godliness.
2. To have healthy relationships with family and friends.
3. To relate well to the world and culture: without giving up a strong faith, without surrendering to the culture, and without being swayed by fads of “faith” that pull one away from the truths of the Bible.
4. The ability to provide for the needs of his/her family in a way that honors God.
Using this standard to measure success means that the first and most important teaching that I must provide for my children is to teach them God’s word, and the reliable truths that are found there. I believe that discernment is one of the most crucial elements of maturity. We much teach our children to be discerning in a world where subtle deceit surrounds us at all times.
Learning Godly character is essential for our children to be successful in their lives.
We must teach our children to find answers to their questions and not just “feed” them answers. We must teach them the skills necessary for them to find reliable answers for themselves.
Good communication skills (written and verbal) are vital to a successful life.
Learning history and geography are also an important part of education, we learn a lot about men and their relationship to God and to each other when we learn history. We see the mistakes of the past and are able to make better choices for the future. In geography we learn about the diversity of this world we live in as well as our interconnectedness.
Learning science is also a very important part of a full education. God created this amazing world, and we can learn a lot about God from studying His creation, and the complexity of it. We also learn about mans interaction with the environment and impact upon it, good and bad.
The study of Math in its various forms shows us that absolutes do exist and our world could not function without absolute truth. Math skills are important in all aspects of life. Money management is an essential skill that needs active training.
Learning how to maintain order and how to care for a family (home economics or life skills training) is a vital part of a full education.
The best way to make sure that this is the education my children receive, is for my husband and I to oversee all aspects of our children’s education. All parents must choose how to carry out this responsibility. We have chosen to make learning a lifestyle. To accept that learning goes on 24/7 and be there to guide our children as they learn.
As it says in Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
And in Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.
