It is disturbing enough that the majority of Christians still have their children in public schools. But one does not have to look too far to find a lot of “former homeschoolers” in those public schools as well. The apparently high attrition rate of homeschoolers is an issue that those of us who homeschool, or encourage others to, need to address.
Desiring to protect our children from the corrupting public schools or wanting our offspring to get a solid education can be motivating factors for starting homeschooling, but a homeschool built on just these will begin to collapse when the going gets tough -- and it will get tough.
When the tremendous monetary sacrifice of one parent forsaking the working world kicks in, when the hefty spiritual challenge of disciplining and discipling children in the Lord become evident, when the mother feels the serious academic responsibility that largely rests on her shoulders, suddenly sending the children out of the home may appear justifiable.
“Some public schools might be teaching that stuff, but my child will have Ms. Christian as her first grade teacher, and I am going to be a classroom volunteer once a week,” says the wavering homeschooler. Suddenly the kids “don’t learn as well from me as from a teacher” or “I’m falling behind!” Or the father feels no compulsion to help, let alone lead the homeschool and he may desire the financial gain and lighter responsibiiites that happen when the wife and children leave for work and school.
From looking at what kept the veteran homeschoolers zealous about being home – often against all odds -- I believe homeschool longevity for the Christian largely comes down to a matter of theology.
That is, Christians with a vision for their family, for fulfilling God’s purpose for them to be used for His glory, is what every Christian family needs to keep homeschooling.
Now I will preface this with I know there are Christian families who cannot homeschool --- maybe the mother suffers from mental illness, alcoholism or another serious problem where they should not be with children. There exits a huge shortage of affordable Christian schools that could be filled with the children from such families.
But for the majority of Christian families who can create a safe, loving, healthy home where Christ is honored – they are well qualified to raise their children at home, and they need to get that exciting, big picture vision for their family to really go the distance. And this vision should be shared with the children, too.
Recently our family was standing in front of local Planned Parenthood. Not only is it part of their education to learn how to witness for Christ and save babies there, but we point out to them that this location is a “high place”in the land. Like King Josiah, we are to take down the high places. “But how, Mom?” they ask. Through doing the best they can in math, science, writing, reading, etc. – maybe one day they can become a judge who helps to outlaw child killing, or a parent who passes on a life ethic to their children.
If our only goal is to get our children to recite the Sinner’s Prayer, and just try to survive in a world that is supposed to get worse even in areas where there are many believers, I think we have too small a goal.
Years ago, when my husband and I ran a pro-family ministry on our secular college campus, we called all the Christian groups together for a prayer time. We then asked them to work on getting Christians elected to school government and to help us get rid of the college-sponsored pornography and homosexual movie nights. Besides the erroneous view many of them had that Christians should not get involved in politics, many acted like trying to make the campus less evil was somehow unspiritual.
We challenged them that a place with Christians should be different than a place without them. And that cleaning up the place, taking dominion in the name of Jesus, was a blessing to those who dwelt there. To make a long story short, although the movies had been shown for 20 years, God used us to get them out in a matter of months.
My point is, what vision do you have for your family and how God could use all of you for His purpose — and does this motivate you to carry on during the storms?
If they haven’t already, your kids are going to look at their math one day and ask you, “What is the point?’ You are going to wake up to a mountain of laundry and a day of children needing you and ask yourself, “What is the point?”
What if you saw it as taking dominion over your household in the name of Jesus. A household with Christians should look different than a household without. Cleaning up the place, and teaching the children to do so, is a blessing to those who dwell there. Homeschooling the children in the Lord brings souls to Him and blesses others. And a husband who catches the vision rises up to take his rightful place as head of such a home.
Whether you are considering homeschooling, just staring homeschooling or if you have a call on your life to encourage others to homeschool, please take this to heart. Homeschooling is the harder, but much better road if done the Lord’s way and with a solid vision for victory in Jesus.