Instruct:

When I read this definition, I have to ask myself, “What am I “preparing” my children for?  And it is short-term (earthly) or long-term (eternal)?  What direction am I giving to them?  And is it man-ward (earthly) or God-ward (eternal)?”

I found the word “instruct” over and over again in the Bible.  I started making another list.  This time I wanted to find out WHO was doing the “educating” or “instructing”.  This is some of what I came up with:

God
The Good Spirit
Moses
Mordecai
The Father
Mother
Samuel
The prophets
Job
The priests
Jesus
Paul
Christian men
Christian leaders

Notice anyone missing in that list? 

Unbelievers
Those who deny God
Godless
Rebellious
Foolish

Is God trying to communicate something here?

If we just think about this from a logical standpoint, if we were God…the Creator of all things…would we want our creation to be taught things without factoring us into the equation?  God created all things, all the scientific laws, all the mathematical laws, all the biological phenomena in the world, the stars, planets, galaxies, the microbes, cell bodies, oceans and mountains.  He writes all the history…brings about the rise and fall of civilizations.   He’s the originator of logic, order, oral and written communication, beauty, creativity, and artistic expression.  He’s the giver and taker of life.  He’s the author of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Yet we who claim Him as Lord also assume it’s OK  to leave Him out of the education of our children?

I found out that year of searching that He disagrees…on a massive scale.  In fact, it was a fascinating discovery to see that the entire Bible from beginning to end protests the idea.

What happens when we try to do things our own “enlightened” way rather than God’s way?  When we think we are wiser than God?  The Israelites found out countless times.

Therefore, the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies…They turn their backs before their enemies.

Joshua 7:12

The Israelites left God out of the equation…and succumbed to cowardice and failure.  They could not face their enemies.  They were scared.  They had no understanding of truth…or of the Mighty God Who was on the side of anyone who acknowledged Him.

What has happened to the majority of children growing up in Christian homes?  They are taught there is no Creator…rather, they are the result of a cosmic “accident”.  They are merely intelligent animals who must live at the whims of their animal instincts to pleasure themselves.  They are taught that God is not “allowed” at the public table of ideas.  God is a non-entity, certainly not the all-powerful Sovereign ruler of the universe.   A crutch when life goes sour, maybe.

These kids will grow up cowards with no power under girding their lives.  Unable to articulate the truth to a dying world.  Unable to face their enemies at the gate.  Unable to believe in the Mighty God…other than as a nice little story to comfort weak people or children.  They will melt into the culture around them, indistinguishable from the masses of humans that populate the planet.  They will miss the grand purpose for which God created them.

This is tragic, and I know this is not the legacy we want to leave our children.

Then we need to seriously think about their education in a truly “enlightened” way.  God’s way.  Because God’s entire Word is about education.  And it is the opposite of what we call “education” in our culture today.

I hope you’ll join me again next time for some more thoughts on this critical topic that has so much at stake for future generations!