Greetings PAACH homeschool families. It’s almost time to begin a new school year, which means that some of you have already begun planning out your school year. Meanwhile, others of you will begin your yearly panic as you read this because planning and organization is just not in your blood. In fact, you’ll probably just wing it… again. Either way, your kids can have a good school year full of learning, fun experiences, and relationship building. As you are doing your school prep, I wanted to remind you that your greatest teaching tool is… you. How you live before God will teach your children way more that any book curriculum, or experiment, or anything you could possibly say to them. So here are a few questions to help guide towards setting the most Christ-like example.

First, do you continually seek to be filled with the Spirit? When Paul emphasizes that we should “look carefully how we walk, being wise and understanding the will of the Lord (Eph 5:15-17),” he recognizes that we cannot do these things on our own. His solution for how to do these things is to “be filled with the Spirit so that we may encourage one another and be thankful toward God for everything.” (Eph 5:18-20) Realistically, we cannot do anything else in this passage without the help of the Holy Spirit. Paul knows that we are imperfect “leaky” vessels, which is why we need to continually be filled. Is that the example you are living out in front of your kids? Do they know that living a life of repentance allows the Holy Spirit to claim and redeem more and more of your heart?

Second, do you know where you draw your lines? Do you hold those lines faithfully despite the consequences that will follow? The book of Daniel lays out examples for us in chapters 1 and 3 of how to draw a line and stand. Daniel and his three friends determined in their hearts to trust God with their lives and God miraculously sustains them on an impossible diet and saves them from certain death. What is important to note in these two examples is that they make it clear that they will NOT compromise even if God chooses not to save them. Are you confidently trusting in the sovereign God who always holds your life in His hands? Do you really believe that He is sovereign or do your children see fear or doubt ruling in your life?

Third, is sharing Christ with others your highest priority no matter what? The church that my family attends has been teaching through the book of Acts on Sunday mornings. I had the privilege of teaching through Acts 8:1-8. The trials faced by the early church included being hunted down, imprisoned, and even being executed for their faith in Christ. Because of this, they were forced from their homes into places they might not have chosen to go otherwise. Even through all these difficulties, they continued to “preach Christ” wherever they went. Too many times we go through hard situations in our lives, get focused on ourselves to the point that we question God, and then try making the case that we “don’t deserve” what is happening to us. Truthfully, we really don’t want to know or receive what we deserve, but that isn’t even the real issue. The real issue is that we were created and live for His glory. The fact is that our hardships are opportunities for God to be glorified and for unbelievers to see and be witness to His goodness. This is what Luke points out in Acts 8, that many came to salvation because of the suffering and hardships of believers because they were faithful to always preach Christ. Preaching Christ gives purpose to trial or hardship because God is glorified and proves that He really does “cause all things to work for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) That’s right, God can use your difficulties not only for your good, but for the good of others who are called according to His purpose and will love God even when they don’t know it yet.

I don’t know how many times you have said “ouch” or had an “aha” moment in the last few minutes, but I do hope you are challenged and encouraged in your faith as you strive to be Godly parents and teachers. (If you are interested in further exploring these ideas, some of this article was inspired by Alistair Begg’s book Brave by Faith.) As always, the PAACH board desires to help and support you throughout your homeschooling journey. We pray that your family learns together, grows together with others in community, and glorifies Christ in everything you do.

James Cox
PAACH President