Baby Missionaries
By Contributing Writer, Bambi Moore
This is my son Stephen. He’s a good boy, far as boys go. He loves the Lone Ranger, and he’s learning how to swim. He usually has a bruise on his forehead, and as soon as it disappears he gets a new one, yet he usually doesn’t recall where they came from. He’s got his heart set on a Red Ryder BB gun for his sixth birthday coming up.
My boy is rough, rowdy and full of deep belly giggles. He’s full of fishing stories and tales of all things tractor-ish. His days are full of phonics lessons, bike riding and rough housing with his brothers. He would be full of Oreos as well, if I would let him.
One thing he is not full of however, is wisdom.
Don’t get me wrong, he knows lots of Bible stories. He’s memorized lots of scripture and is up to question 25 of the children’s shorter catechism. Many Christians would say if there was ever a little boy who was spiritually ready to face a kindergarten class this fall, it would be him.
But he’s not ready. And he won’t be for many years.
The Homeschooling Objection: Children Should be Salt and Light in Our Government’s Schools
There are many objections to homeschooling, including the tired old, “What About Socialization?” But unlike the socialization argument, or the “average-moms-and-dads-aren’t-qualified-to-teach-their-own-kids” argument, there is one argument that (rightly) causes Christians to give pause because of its scriptural reference and spiritual overtones: “Our kids should be salt and light in the public schools.”
It leaves us feeling conflicted and torn. If we don’t send our children out into the world of government educators as missionaries to them, doesn’t that mean we don’t care about the unsaved teachers and kids that are there? If we want to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, then this leaves us with a conflicting sense of responsibility. If all the Christian kids leave the public schools, what will be left? Will everyone there be stranded, never to have the opportunity to hear the good news of Christ? It seems unloving to leave the public schools with no Christian influence, but is it right to risk our own children’s spiritual well-being?
Foundations and Assumptions
The very foundation of the salt and light argument for Christian children in public schools, is an admission that the government schools are a godless and hostile environment for Christians. We only send missionaries where they are needed, hence no one suggests that we send children to private Christian schools as salt and light. It’s assumed that the kids who attend there are Christians or at least have Christian parents.
Therefore, the first assumption is that the potential good a child can do here outweighs the risk of spiritual danger he is in, as he sits under humanistic teaching by professionals who are superior to him intellectually, and as he is outnumbered by his peers.
The second assumption is that being salt and light in the school is the job of children as well as the top priority of a child’s life. More important even, than being taught and trained beforehand, with a Christian worldview.
The Context
The audience Jesus was speaking to in the Matthew 5: 13-16 passage was his disciples; adult men who had walked with him for three years. This doesn’t mean children can’t be a positive witness for the Lord, but it is quite a stretch to say that they should be deliberately placed in an environment hostile toward the Creator and trained (sometime subtly, sometimes obviously) in ways contrary to God’s laws.
Before the disciples went out into the world they had intense training with the perfect, sinless, infallible son of God. How much more do our children need our guidance and training before they are ready to fight the battles of light and darkness?
Seasons of Life
What is the purpose of childhood then? Is it to fulfill a mission for Christ? Does God have work for children to do? Yes. And although childhood is a time of preparation for the work and ministry that comes later, there are also biblical commands for children to follow.
The commands God gave specifically to children were to 1.) honor parents and 2.) obey them. This doesn’t mean children aren’t also expected to be working towards other commands, but when children are obedient to the call to honor their parents and obey them, this is a major way for them to be salt and light. The world sits up and takes notice of a child who does this. It’s rare.
We prepare our children, under our guiding hands, to be salt for their lifetime– not put them in danger of losing the saltiness while in their youth. Because if salt has lost its taste how can it be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. Are we giving as much attention to the warning of this passage as we should?
We can find many scriptures that command parents to disciple their children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7, Deuteronomy 32:46, Proverbs 1:8, Isaiah 38:19, Joel 1:3, Ephesians 6:4). These passages form a consistent pattern throughout the whole of scripture, emphasizing the responsibility of parents in teaching their children the ways of God. Education, according to the Bible, is always God centered and parent-directed. At the same time we see nothing there of young children leaving the safety of parents, to minister.
In Conclusion
Just five chapters after Jesus told His disciples to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, he told them:
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. Matthew 10:14-16
Jesus told his adult disciples to “Go.” He told the little children to “Come”. To the adults he said, “Get out there” and regarding children, “Bring them to me”.
I’m so thankful, that even though I bring my children to him imperfectly and in my human weakness, that he honors my efforts and dependence on Him. He will make them salt and light….in their season of childhood preparation and then later on out in the world, wielding a mighty Sword, clutching a formidable shield of faith and wearing a powerful belt of truth.
Untitled from Bambi Moore on Vimeo.
Tags: education, public school, salt and light
Excellent post! I have been reading your blogs for a while, but this is my first time to leave a comment. As a homeschooling mom of 6, I couldn’t agree more. My oldest just graduated high school, got a job, and is now setting up Bible studies with his coworkers. Moms of little ones, don’t give up!! It is so worth it to spend their childhood years grounding them in God’s truth and preparing them for the time when they will be ready to spread the Gospel to others. The time goes by so fast…use it wisely! Thank you, Bambi, for the daily encouragement!
Love it Bambi!! And your comment “It seems unloving to leave the public schools with no Christian influence, but is it right to risk our own children’s spiritual well-being?” you are so so right!
Is it unloving for Christians to not watch Hollywood movies and leave no Christian influence in the theaters? Is it unloving to stay out of bars and leave the drunks there with no Christian influence? NO! And those are adults! How much less should we send our children into a heathen establishment day after day, year after year, to be “salt and light.” Preposterous!
GREAT great post!!!
Love ya sister!!
Bambi! What a great post! I love it! I’ve always especially disliked the “salt and light” argument against homeschooling. I’ve long said that children just aren’t ready for that kind of responsibility, especially since most of mine are still not Christians. How can a lost soul, even with Mama’s or Daddy’s strong Christian influence and biblical training be expected to be salt? They can’t! They may be “good” kids, or good students, but they cannot be a Christian witness when the Holy Spirit is not in them.
Thanks so much for your well-written post!
Such a good post. Here are my two cents: For one missionaries are generally called either as single adults or as families with a head of the household leading the way.
Government schools are caustic to Christians…schools have left the Godly foundation. (I highly recommend watching the series by David Barton “American Heritage” and visiting his web WallBuilders.com- great place to become educated).
Founding fathers such as Fisher Ames and Benjamin Rush (signers) stated that the Bible is and should remain the most important and main text book in schools. How far we have come. It would be one thing to send a Christian child into a government school where the principals and foundings remained as they were in the begining of America…but to send them now would be appauling and dangerous to their walk with the Lord.
I would think that young Christians going into the public school is more like throwing them to the wolves… it is throwing pearls to those who don’t want them…can’t see the beauty in the pearls…and the pearls will get tarnished or worse – destroyed.
Praying for our nation and schools is our way of sending them as missionaries.
At our little government school the drug use and teen pregnancy is out of control…the curriculum is pro-anything that is anti Christian. Learning is not really happening in Government schools…chaos is taking the place of valued learning…just watch “Indoctrination” and you will see what I am talking about.
Proverbs 22: 6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go; AND WHEN he is old, he will not depart from it.” – God’s word is telling us to train them as children so that when they are older, more mature they will STAND…this is our “homeschool” scripture!
Not to mention the fact that home schoolers test way above average when compared to the government school test scores…another thing to consider!
Fabulous post! I have only been homeschooling for three years and my children are still rather young, but I’ve heard this comment about sending them out to be the salt and light many times! I’m never articulate enough to explain my thoughts on the matter, and here you have done it for me!
Wow, such great thoughts from ALL of you! So true! Thanks for commenting.
I love this article. Most children have a hard time sustaining their faith in a public school setting. I do, although, believe we should reach out to non believers as a family. As homeschoolers we should be very careful not to shut out all non believers from our lives. I do see this as a problem among homeschoolers sometimes. (example: when you go to Sunday School, a non believer will probably show up to your child’s class…BUT all children are surrounded by Christ in that setting, so it is much safer.) Sometimes Christ may send a family your way that needs Him! So, as a family, really ministering to another family is an AMAZING way to show God’s love. Our purpose on earth is not to arrive at death safely but to do anything short of sin to spread the word & love of Christ! (I do not believe that to be sending your child to the wolves in a public school but to do as a family under a blanket of MUCH discussion.) Thanks for the article!
Excellent post! I could not agree more! Childhood is a time for discipling our children, not sending them to be missionaries. I enjoyed the verse about Jesus calling the children to Him. Great conclusion.
I have a 3 year old and 20 month old and I ‘m considering homeschooling. I have really struggled with this decision as I loved my public school education and I have used the “salt and light” argument to be my grounds for not wanting to homeschool. I have never heard it explained so simply and concisely. Really you can’t argue with scripture. “He told the adults to go and the children to come to ME”. Exactly what the Lord needed me to read this morning. Thank you!
Wendy–That’s wonderful
Praise the Lord for his uncomplicated truths that we humans try to make complicated. I used to use the same argument as well 
Very well said – in words much better than I ever could. This has been one of our top reasons for homeschooling our children, and I have repeatedly heard this argument “But our children need to share Christ to the kids in their class” And in my mind, I’m alwasy thinking “You’re children are not missionaries!”
After reading this article again I find myself impressed my how you speak the truth gently. I have a lot of trouble not being abrasive. The quite tone will get more people reading and thinking about the truths of the topic.
Is there a way to print this article? Thank you for the gracious and eloquent way in which you stated this. My thoughts exactly.
Hello RG,
I would just copy/paste into a Word document and then print.
Thanks for commenting!