Yield Not to Temptation
Categories: Léo’s Insights 2019-2020, Miscellaneous
I suppose this is goodbye! However, Lord willing, it is actually only a “see you later” type of goodbye, like a “see you next fall and have a good summer” thing! It is also my “I enjoyed sharing some of my thoughts and opinions with you in this year’s blogs (Léo’s Insights) and hope that they help you in your home education and spiritual journeys.”
I tended to concentrate on two topics this year, the first being on how the home educated can successfully transition to the post-secondary level of learning without need for government approval in the form of accreditation; and the second was an attempt to convey an understanding of authority that I hope will keep you from yielding to temptation.
Let me explain what I just said. Sometimes, we end up making really dumb decisions, not because we are dumb, but rather because we just did not think the decision through or, more often, did not have all the pertinent information at our disposal. This second issue was what I wanted to help you with this year.
Every year, we are disappointed to find parents who somehow lose their resolve to teach their children at home and send them back to school. Whatever the reason, it is important to know that school is not God’s creation and not His idea of “education.” That is why I spent so much time on the topic of who has authority in education.
Throughout that series I insisted that parents not only know that they have been given the authority, but that they, especially fathers, understand that it is a responsibility that should not be abdicated or delegated to someone or something else.
It is critically important to comprehend that God would never give one jurisdiction the ability to procreate and then expect another to raise and educate the children.
You’ve heard me say this many times before, but until I see government, schools, churches or anything other than parents have the ability to create children, I will not accept that anything other than parents has the legitimate authority to educate them.
Of course, this statement presumes a faith in God and a desire to serve and follow Him. Knowing that it is His desire to see parents train and teach their children and that He has given all authority to do so to parents, fathers in particular, allows us to stand on our conviction and to yield not unto the temptation to have someone else do the job for us.
Just say no to that temptation. Remember that to be aware of your authority is to empower you to do the right thing and once you know this, you are without excuse for doing the wrong thing, other than a willingness to do so.
Now that I have given you reason to resist the temptation of sending your children to school, let’s deal with one more temptation, and that is, seeking the approval or accreditation of government high school level programming. In keeping with what I just said, God would not ask you to start an education program and then have the government finish it.
Regardless, I hope I clearly made the point that home educated students need not, indeed, should not look like their school educated counterparts.
So, do not yield to the temptation to send your children to school and do not entertain the need for government accreditation. Both are clear examples of a lack of faith in God and in what you are doing. God does not make mistakes and loving parents have the best interests of their children at heart. It does not get better than that!
One more thing. Parents always seem to be older and therefore obviously wiser than children! Primary and secondary level education is entirely the responsibility of adult parents, not pre-pubescent or pubescent children. When they come asking to go to school, exercise your parental authority and just say NO! The complaining will soon go away and positive results will soon be manifested.
Students at the post-secondary level are a different matter, their matter, for that matter! Remember that this level comes after the secondary (high school) level and so involves the student and his or her future.
Hang on to your authority. Never abdicate it to others, especially your children. Don’t emulate the world you are trying to escape.
Have a great summer.
See you again, Lord willing, in the fall.
And… yield not unto temptation!
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