Do You Focus on What Matters?

I don’t know about you, but it’s so tempting just to check off those boxes in our homeschool. Math, check; Language Arts, check; character training, oops too busy. But when you get right down to the brass tacks, which is more important? So, ask yourself, “Do you focus on what matters?”

Now, I’m not suggesting you forgo academics. Obviously, we “have” to teach them, but also we “want” to teach them. I have no desire for my children to be ignorant or deficient in the academic areas of learning. However, I’m afraid (cough, cough) that we all too often forget to put the most important things first in our children’s learning schedule. I know in my case I tend to rush through the morning to get “everything” done, and I miss our Bible or character training. Why? Probably because in our current culture that is put on a back burner or shoved off the stove completely. Perhaps in our mind, we believe the lie that knowledge equates wisdom. But does it?

The simple answer is nope! The Bible clearly says that the fear of the Lord is the “beginning” of wisdom. So, we can’t even start to be wise without a proper fear of the Lord. Then it says if any man lacks wisdom, he’s to ask of God who gives it liberally and doesn’t condemn you for asking for it. Therefore, we see that God is the continuer of wisdom. He gives it, he continues to give it, and we can’t have it without Him. Then the big question is are you training your children to seek wisdom from the Wisdom Giver? If not, we are failing in the most important aspect of our homeschool!

How do we go about imparting wisdom to our children? Do we simply read from the Bible each day and hope they get it? Or perhaps we take them to church and hope it sinks in through osmosis? I would suggest that neither of these is a good option. Yes, we should read the Bible to our children.  But we should also explain it in short, manageable chunks. Make it applicable to their life. Get them audiobooks that bring the Bible to life or show how God worked in regular people’s lives. Don’t settle when it comes to helping to create Godly character and wisdom in your children. And as for church, yes, it’s great to take your kids to church, but please don’t rely on that to build your children into Godly young men and women. In fact, be very diligent to make certain your children are learning truth. And while church can be a great place for your kids to fellowship, be watchful of who they associate with. Just because it’s church doesn’t mean that wisdom is the rule when all too often foolishness is. 

Teach your children to discern truth from lies in everything they come in contact with: from the children they might play with to the adults who might influence them. Be very careful of who teaches your children. Make very certain you are the primary spiritual influence in their lives. You and you alone are responsible for their character formation with God’s blessing and guidance. Don’t pass the baton to someone else or simply forget it altogether. No, you won’t be perfect at it but remember to focus on what matters in both your homeschool and your home!

Jenny Underwood is a wife to her amazing husband of 21 years and 4 lively children. She blogs at https://www.inconvenientfamily.com where she is learning that blessings aren’t always convenient.