Bricks Without Straw

Your most important assignment as a Christian parent is to teach your children about God. You do not warrant salvation for your children, of course, because only God saves; but there is clear direction in scripture for parents to instruct their children in the ways of the Lord, tell of His might and grace, and engage them in honest and direct discussion. You are responsible for your children’s training (Proverbs 22:6) and to some extent their actions (1 Samuel 2:12–36).

Practically speaking, if your children are away from home eight to ten hours a day, it can be very difficult to succeed at the job that has been entrusted to you as a Christian parent. It is as though you are trying to complete the task of teaching your children about God without the necessary tools—in this case, time.

Raising godly children without all of the proper tools or ingredients can be difficult. I know because I trudged along that path for a couple of years when my children were in public school. I can remember sitting on our steps having a short devotion with them at the beginning of the day, and I can recall rushing to the church for children’s choir after school, handing out snacks for the ride and leaving homework on the kitchen table to be tackled later that evening. In addition to the time constraints, the outside influences from being at school all day are strong, and the lessons introduced at the beginning and end of the day are comparatively short.

Your primary job as a Christian parent is to teach your children about God and homeschooling is an excellent tool that a parent can use to carry out this crucial responsibility.