This time of year we sometimes start to get bogged down or discouraged or burned out. I want to give you some encouragement and remind you of a few good reasons why we are homeschooling. Believe me, this list is not exhaustive, but was actually compiled after asking my own kids their thoughts on why we are homeschooling. Here were a few of their answers:

1. Public education is not a godly education

2. We don't want to split up the family

3. We want to stay away from worldly influences

4. We are to be "in the world, but not of it"

5. Because they took Jesus out of the schools

6. Because we can teach creation and not be subjected to the lie of evolution.

7. Because there are mean kids and bad stuff at school.

8. Because we can learn to obey and have character and to love our family.

9. Because we are obeying God's principles about parents teaching their children

10. So we can grow in maturity and confront our culture when we are old enough and wise enough.

Some pretty good reasons, I think! You might want to ask your kids why they think you are homeschooling. It might be eye opening.

I'd like to give you some scriptural encouragement, as we know that the foundation of our decisions for home education are based on the Word of God. If they are based on anything else, our homeschool structure will collapse as there is no foundation. For those of you needing more than the Deut. 6 chapter, here are a few more to consider:

Matthew 7 teaches the parable of the wise man and foolish man building their houses. They both labored and produced homes for themselves. Note - they both labored! Only the labor of the one who built on a foundation other than a godly one, was in vain, whereas the labor of the wise man was profitable and held through any storm.

Psalm 127:1 says that unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. He MUST be the architect, the general contractor, and the decision maker for all that goes into building that house.  Anything done of our own agenda or our own philosophy outside of what the Lord requires, will be totally in vain - no matter how good we deem it.

2 Corin. 6:17 speaks of coming out from among them and being separate. This is a "thus saith the Lord" command. Placing our children in the midst of the heathen is in direct disobedience to this command. If you go back to Jeremiah 10:2, you will find the same thing, "learn not the way of the heathen."  

Galatians 6:14 speaks of being crucified to the world. It's a sacrifice to homeschool - but in sacrificing, we are also "being crucified" or dying to the world and it's ways. We are teaching our children the same.

Colossians 2:8 is a perfect principle that should be obeyed and yet it cannot be obeyed if our children are in public education: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." BEWARE! Don't let your children be spoiled by these things.

Philippians 2:15 - homeschooling allows us to keep our children "blameless and harmless...in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation..."

2 Peter 1:3 says that we have been given everything we need "for life and godliness" through our knowledge of God! Not through any other knowledge. EVERYTHING WE NEED FOR LIFE is found in knowing God. As we follow Biblical principles with our children, we will find the rewards for obedience poured out and the blessings flow in our children's lives.

Proverbs 13:20 speaks directly to one of the reasons we keep our children home where they belong. "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed." A companion of fools? Sounds like public education to me. Do we really want to take that risk of having our children destroyed for being a companion of fools? It's not even just a risk - it's a truth of scripture.

You may not find the word "homeschooling" in the Bible, just as you won't find the word, "Dinosaur" in the Bible, but both principles are clearly seen throughout scripture. Though the Bible does not say, "Thou shalt homeschool" there are clearly enough scriptural principles throughout that speak to the fathers and mothers teaching their children, that we are to be set apart, that we are not to be walking with fools but with wise men, that we are not to be learning the way of the heathen.

The Pilgrims had it right. They were called "separatists" because they chose to come out from among the heathen of their day and be separate. They wanted to teach their children from the Bible. They wanted to spare them the evil influences of their society. This is why we have a strong nation today. The sacrifices of these separatists so long ago and their dedication to their God no matter what the culture dictated was rewarded with blessings upon our nation. Our homeschooling efforts are doing the exact same thing. God blesses and honors those who bless and honor Him.

Just in case you need more scripture, here are some for you to look up on your own :)

Isaiah 38:19, Ephesians 6:4, Psalm 78, Genesis 18:19

May you be encouraged to keep on keeping on doing what is right in the eyes of God.

With you in the pilgrimage,

~Deborah

P.S. In the Spring 08 issue of the The Old Schoolhouse Magazine I will expound on all of the scriptural principles above in my editorial column. If you have not subscribed yet, now's a good time!