My family and I recently had the opportunity to view the film IndoctriNation. Wow! I highly recommend it. What a compelling telling of where a system of education ends up when it’s filled with unbiblical influences. IndoctriNation issues a clear call to flee a godless system.
But we’re already homeschooling. So our watching the film was just more preaching to the choir, right?
Wait! Not so fast. If we think we already get it, and we’re sure we’re already doing what we need to do, I wonder if we’ve actually missed the point of IndoctriNation altogether.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) If we’re going to live as God’s people, then His Word must, of course, be our starting point.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” (Joshua 1:8) If we’re going to live as God’s people, then His Word and His ways must be not only our starting point, but also the very heart of all we do.
“Thus says the LORD, who created the heavens . . . ‘I am the LORD, and there is none else . . . I am God and there is no other.’” (Isaiah 45:18, 22b) If we’re going to live as God’s people, in addition to being our starting point and the heart of all we do, His Word must also be our final word—our final authority.
His Word, then, should not be just the start to our days, not simply a jumping off point for our life strategy, and not merely the directional sign pointing us in the direction of home education—after which we seek out many other perspectives and voices. Instead, His Word must remain the permeating and directing influence for all we do.
Have you ever thought about what that means for your homeschool educational philosophy?
What is your educational philosophy? We all have one, whether we realize it or not. We live by one, whether we’ve actually articulated it or not. What has shaped it? Do you know where the foundational ideas for your teaching methods and strategies came from? (Not just where your initial idea to homeschool came from.) Do you know whom you are following, even perhaps unwittingly, in your methods?
If we are going to live as God’s people, as we evaluate to whom we will listen regarding education, we must measure everything we hear by God’s Word. If the messages or ideas are not consistent with what God already has revealed in His Word, they should not shape our ways—no matter how revered the sources may be. And no matter how high or polished are the pedestals that fellow educators have built for those ideas.
On the other hand, if, and only if, an idea is consistent with God’s Word, then the source might actually be offering something worthy of further consideration. But the only way to know what’s worthy of our consideration is to know God’s Word first.
Last time, I wrote about
The Bird Mother Philosophy. Before I say any more about it, though, I invite you to first take some time to consider your own working educational philosophy. Think about who or what has influenced the way you think about and practice home education. Do a little digging to find out who or what, in turn, shaped
them, and to uncover what
their ideas rest upon . . . a background check of sorts. . . and see what you discover. I’m doing the same.
God’s opinion of the world’s wisdom, coming from those who do not worship Him, is not exactly high. “ . . . They have no knowledge, who carry about their wooden idol, and pray to a god who cannot save.” (Isaiah 45:20b)
Ultimately, if we are going to live as God’s people, the only foundation we have any business building on is God alone.
Homeschooling with her husband, Scott, since 2001, Carol believes nothing is too difficult for God. She is a passionate encourager and loves using creative means–including writing music, speaking, and blogging–to encourage others to trust God through all the adventures He calls them to. You can read more from her at her Unsmotherable Delight blog (udelight.blogspot.com), where you’ll find faith-filled original songs, favorite scriptures, family stories, and even a little film about adoption, all designed to inspire and lift your spirit. Her original ‘theme song’ titled Captain’s Anthem can be heard on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/30769152.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
