By What Standards Will We Choose to Live

When it comes to the education of our children, by what standards will we choose to live?

1 John 2:15-17 reads “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

Is it wrong to want our children to excel in academics? Absolutely not! But if academic excellence is the goal without God and His Word, our priorities are misplaced.

Colossians 3:1-2 reads “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

2 Corinthians 10:5 reads “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”

While I want my children to do well in their educational pursuits, I want to measure their success by God’s standards and not the world’s. Everything that passes through their mind needs to be filtered by the Word of God. We need to remember, math is a thought, science is a thought, grammar is a thought; and every subject we teach should be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. To see how this is applied, let’s look at a few subjects most children are taught.

GRAMMAR – Why do we teach our children how to read? To be able read the Bible. Why do we teach our children how to spell, write, and speak properly? To be able to communicate the gospel and other truths found in the Word of God.

Colossians 3:17 reads “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Perhaps, your child wins a spelling bee or scores high on a test. If so, give God the glory; but don’t let these things be your motivation. Everything we do – handwriting, spelling, and language composition – should be to the glory of God.

MATH – Why do we teach our children math? To empower them to make sound financial decisions for life. Every child will need basic math skills to balance a checkbook, pay the bills, or run a business. All of these things, can be a testimony for our Lord.

SCIENCE – Why do we teach our children science? I am not teaching mere facts in order to pass a test. I want to encourage my children to step back and look in awe at God’s creation; and then thank Him for these blessings.

HISTORY – Why do we teach our children history? If we look at history through the sovereignty of God, it becomes His Story. What better opportunity to teach our children biblical morals and values than to have them read and study about godly people from the past. In history, we also teach the mistakes that mankind has made in the past, so our children are not doomed to repeat them.

So the question is, “By what standards will we choose to live?” As Christian parents, we must keep in mind that we will be accountable to God for the education of our children. Academic excellence is a commendable goal, but learning should not be divided up between secular and spiritual. Everything should be spiritual. This happens when we incorporate God in every subject and in every aspect of our daily lives.