What I am about to say may offend those who are super pro-homeschooling 🙂 So I will say upfront that I am not militant about homeschooling. It has many benefits. But like anything in life, it has its pros and cons. And therefore, whether one homeschools or not is a choice every family has to make based on his or her conviction and beliefs.
Not the only way
I do not believe it is something every Christian should take up and, that if you don’t, you are not a true Christian. It is my opinion and mine only that people who insist that homeschooling is THE ONLY WAY if you are a Christian are treading on very dangerous ground. They put a burden on fellow Christians that shouldn’t be put on them.
There is no mandate, no instruction in the Bible that says, “Thou must homeschool thy child!” Yes, we may infer it from the Deuteronomy passage (Deut 6:4-7) where the people of Israel was told to teach the Word to their children when they lie down, when they get up. Yes, it is more difficult to do so when our children spend so much time away from us. But it is not impossible. I know many families who have raised godly children and their children all went/go to public schools and did/do well in them as well!
Choose out of conviction
Whichever path we choose we must not choose out of fear. Neither should we choose out of convenience. We should choose out of conviction. Some Christian families just can’t (not won’t and, not can’t-with-a-thousand-excuses) homeschool and the grace of God covers them. There’s really no one size fits all. Do what God has called you and your family to do and it would really be wise not to judge other families’ decisions without knowing their faith walk.
No guarantees!
I have said many times before, homeschooling will not save your child. Homeschooling will not save a child from peer influence, potty mouth, or worldly influences! And homeschooling definitely does not guarantee a child’s salvation! Or that he would be a great evangelist or theologian. And honestly, sending a child a public school does not doom him/her to eternal damnation. And one more : homeschooling our children does not make us holier than those who don’t.
Whether you choose to homeschool all the way, choose to homeschool and then put the child into the school system, or go the public school way, it is your decision, your choice. If you have sought the Lord on it and both husband and wife agree on the decision, you’re good to go! 🙂
