Home Schooling? Always!

Jesus tells us that we are to be His disciples, but He doesn’t stop there. We are to make disciples right in the place where we live and wherever we go. He isn’t telling church leaders to go make more church leaders. He is telling them that, just as they have been apprenticed to the Master, they are to be the masters who go out and make more apprentices who will learn what it means to become like the Master who designed them for a purpose.

We don’t use the terminology of apprenticeship much these days. We are more likely to think in the manner of an internship, where we hone a skill by working alongside someone who has excellence and experience in that field.

If you were studying for a particular trade, what would you hope to gain from your internship? OR… If you were apprenticed to a master what would you expect? I would expect that the master teaching me would have knowledge of the skill he/she was teaching; the ability to teach in a comprehensible manner; the tools of the trade; patience and grace; time to instruct; willingness to walk and work with me, encouraging me and directing me along the way.

If you are the Master and your kids are your apprentices, what are they learning? As the Master, are you growing in the knowledge of the Truth found in scripture? Are you sharing that with them and helping them apply it to their life in an age appropriate manner? Don’t wait until you have a full understanding of scripture to share it with your kids. Be committed to life-long learning and accept the fact that we won’t have all the answers this side of heaven. Keep growing and sharing as you grow.

Do you have the proper tools? Do you have daily devotions with them or provide a devotional book or app for your phone or theirs? Do you pray with them so they will feel comfortable talking to God? Do they have a Bible they can understand? A Bible Story Book? A church that supports what you are teaching at home with lessons they can grasp?

As their master/teacher do you show grace and patience with others? Do you demonstrate it as they learn what it means to grow and mature in their faith? Do you keep in mind that they are children and are unable to function at an adult level? Does the tone of your voice indicate a gentle spirit of one they wish to follow or is it harsh, making them want to run and hide? Do they hear tenderness as you engage in conversations with their mother or father? God is LOVE and if your love and devotion is not apparent with your spouse and children, they will learn a very distorted sense of who God is. Be kind and loving... always. Be gentle in spirit... always. Be approachable... always. If you think that is too much to ask, you better start learning now because you don't have very many years to demonstrate the selfless love that will help them identify God. Make your home a place where questions are welcomed and there is no fear of a critical spirit that keeps your family at arms length.

When you look at your calendar, do you see evidence that you are taking time to be a spiritual guide for your kids? Try color-coding and actually place things that you are doing to “make disciples” in a specific color. It is an eye opener! It is often said that we make time for what we consider important. Is there anything more important than guiding the children God has chosen to place in your care to the life and the purpose He has for them? Make the time for Bible stories. Pray with them. Make church attendance a priority over other activities. Be intentional with your time.

Are you an encourager? As a parent directing the behavior of our kids it is easy to find yourself being critical of all the things they are doing wrong. As a master with an apprentice, that tactic will end in discouragement. Your child was made for a purpose. Remind them of that by memorizing and quoting Ephesians 2:10 – “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Applaud the good you see in them; the improvements they make. Not for the purpose of building pride, but in order for them to see what is right and what is wrong. For example, “I like the way I see you taking time to read to your sister. That shows me that you are learning to be the person God made you to be, sharing your time and talents with others.” Or, “When you stepped back and let your brother go first, I could tell that you are learning to put the needs of others ahead of your own. That is exactly what the Bible teaches and it makes God happy… and me too!”

Your home is the school in which your children are learning to be disciples. Teach them well so there will be no regrets as they grow and develop into the people God created them to be, doing the things He planned for them long before they took their first breath.

I am praying for you as you commit to this lifestyle of following the Leader so that you can lead the followers that call you mom and dad.