In our world today, it is easy to become distracted from our "magnum opus," our great work. The world offers wealth, recognition and idle pleasure...pursuits which often receive more social approbation than the daily tasks of child-rearing. Sometimes we act as if our children are in the way or are yet another task to accomplish.
In Genesis 4:1, Eve holds her first born son and says, "With the help of the Lord, I have created a man." Three times now, I have held my newborn baby with wonder and amazement at this tiny miracle created in me and entrusted to me. As many of you know, we are again experiencing this miracle that is looked down upon so many in our culture. With the help of the Lord, I will bring forth four men and women faithful to the Lord.
What strong materials do we have to raise our children? Most important I think are prayer, diligence and our own example. Through prayer, we can focus our priorities and remind ourselves of "the big picture," asking for and receiving the Lord's guidance along the way. Diligence helps us keep going, even when our children are acting up and we seem to be fighting an uphill battle. As we learn to lead by example, our children will learn to follow in the paths we help them set. These materials are strong...and waterproof in that they help protect them against the influences of our culture without attempting to control our children.
For further encouragement on the homeschooling journey, check out my article, Declaring His Power to the Next Generation, appearing as a three part series on Crosswalk.
