Back To School

It’s that time of year again when all the kids are going back to school. Mom and dad are scurrying around trying to get all the school supplies together, buying all new clothes for the kids, and rushing around trying to pack in all the last minute memories before the end of the summer. The kids are sad that the summer is over, and mom and dad are ready for school to start so life can slow down from the hustle and bustle of all the summer activities. We take all this time and begin preparing our kids for the beginning of the school year, all the preparation, all the time and effort put in to their education to prepare them to be successful in life, but how many of us put the same amount of effort into preparing our children to be successful in their eternity?
Don’t get me wrong, an earthly education is very important, and teaching our children to be successful not only gives them the skills they will need to live their lives, but it molds their work ethic and character, so if this is so important, how much more important should it be for us to guide them and educate them on the gravity that their spiritual education will have on their eternal future. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. -Proverbs 22:6 God instructs us to teach our children, they have been given to us to care for, but too many times we forget that our children are not ours, they are His, and He has entrusted them to us to raise, train, and prepare for an eternal life. We often get so caught up in the day to day tasks of our current life that we forget that we have been placed here to be trained for an eternal ministry. What we do, the skills we learn, and the moral character we develop in this life, is solely for the purpose of preparing us for eternal life. If we do not teach our children to walk, talk, read, write, behave socially, work ethically, live morally, and strive for betterment of their wellbeing, then we are setting them up for failure in this life, and many would say we are neglectful of our parental responsibilities. But I ask you this, do you put in the same effort to teach your children to pray to God, read their Bible, love others more than themselves, and do everything (and I mean everything) as if they were doing it for the Lord? And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. -Colossians 3:23-24
I know, sometimes the task seems daunting, and sometimes we don’t know how to teach them these things, and that is why we send them to Sunday school, much like we send them off to school every year, because others may seem more qualified or experienced at teaching these things. But theses children are our responsibility, though sometimes the task seems difficult, it in reality, is just as simple as letting them see you read your Bible, incorporating them into your daily prayers, let them see you pray, talk with them about God and the things He has done for you personally, point out the things that He has done, or is doing in their life. Take the time to answer their questions, look it up with them, or take them to someone who can answer those hard questions. You taught your little one to walk, you potty trained them, taught them how to brush their teeth, feed themselves, and dress themselves, and each time they learned the lesson. You may not have done it the way others did, but you got there. If you could do that, then you have all the skills you need to teach them about the Creator of the Universe. Don’t overthink it, you don’t have to be a theologian, a pastor, a deacon, or a biblical scholar to teach your child the skills he/she will need for their eternity. God gave them to you, and He who loves them so much would not neglect to give their caregiver the skills necessary to train them. I think the song by Keith Green says it the best “Keep doing your best, pray that it’s blessed and He will take care of the rest.” You do your best and God will make sure that they learn the lessons and skills that they need. Too many times, the problem is that we don’t try, we give up, or we get too busy with life and before we know it we have missed all the opportunities we had to teach them. I encourage you DON’T neglect this responsibility, and don’t assume you can’t. Every moment of every day is an opportunity for you to not only teach your children, but to model a life that they can emulate, thereby training them to have a successful eternal life. 19 And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. -Deuteronomy 11:19.