sending a child to public school

Well, Christie took the verses right out of my Bible!  🙂  Those are some of the ones that confirmed things for us – here’s a few more…  I’ll put the verse and then a little commentary as to what the verse said to ME – may not speak the same way to you, but that way you don’t read a verse and wonder – how does THAT support homeschooling?

Prov. 23:26  “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”  (How can he observe if he’s not with me most of the day?)

Prov. 22: 3  “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.”  (It’s my job to help forsee the evil in my children’s lives, from their own behavior to protecting them from the behavior of others – I can’t do it unless they are with me.)

James 1:14 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of this own lust and enticed.”  Even our kids will face temptation, but the more they are away from me, the less I will be there to help walk them through the temptations.

I John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  It’s easier to keep my kids from loving worldly things if they are not surrounded by them, even at home they have some exposure, but I can give them more Godly persepective and keep these things at bay.  For example – Silly Bandz – harmless, BUT our neighbor had DOZENS of them on her arm and those babies are expensive, my girls wanted them, because I homeschool them and they are with me all day long, for the majority of the day they didn’t have lots of other children surrounding them with silly bandz, because I teach them the value of things I was able to explain to them that it’s JUST a rubber band – not really worth 25 cents or whatever the cost was, they could each have a few and keep track of them and treasure them, if they had been at school – I think they would have spent much more time coveting them because I’m apparently the only mom frugal enough to say one package of generic ones is enough for our ENTIRE family. 

Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business; fervant in spirit; serving the Lord”  At home we get a lot more done in a lot shorter time.  That gives us more time to be diligently serving the Lord and when I’m doing a good job – also keeps ME from being slothful!

Phil. 4:8  “Finally, Brethren whatsoeve things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”  Even as a VERY young child at a Christian school, I remember hearing jokes with lots of double entendre about intercourse!  YIKES!!!  I do NOT want my children hearing those jokes and remembering them well into their 30’s. 

Ps. 91: 4  “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”  If the Lord sheltering me with his protective wings, then I’m going to follow that example and keep those little chicks in the nest.

Those are the verses that I think support homeschooling, but I also think there are others that are much more strong against secular education.

I hope that those verses might be helpful to those of you who may not have scriptural support for homeschooling, but ultimately my verses may not be your verses “… Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” Rom. 14:5

And one LAST thing – IBKIM2 – I love reading about how you write so respectfully about your husband and the lengths the two of you are taking together to make the right decision.  While I think that I’ve got lots of scriptural confirmation for homeschooling – ultimately, I wouldn’t do it if my husband were against it  and I’d pray that the Lord would help me to have a good attitude toward my husband and his decision – I don’t think homeschooling would do much good in a family where the father resents the mother for usurping authority over the children. 

Blessings,

Rebekah