Who Will Teach These Children? 10 Reasons Why it Should Be You!By Deborah Wuehler

Is our culture becoming ethically better or morally worse? What would it take to bring true positive change into our future? The solution lies in my home and yours: our very own children are the answer to this ancient problem. The cultural elite know this fact; therefore, everyone and their Uncle want a hand in shaping the minds of our offspring in order to advance their ideas and agendas into the future. I think I’d rather not hand my children off to those who have been raised in, and want to raise my children in, ideologies that differ from the non-negotiable Biblical ones I hold.

If Godly children are the answer to the evils of the future, then Godly parents are the answer to the question of who will teach them. What do Godly parents look like? I would hope they look like you and me.

When our children are grown, I think we would all love to look back and see that our children proclaimed truth and did not give way to fear, or cultural relevance, or peer pressure. We would love to know that our children held their ground and stood up for what was righteous and holy. We would love to be able to look back and see well-disciplined and well-discipled children who honored God with their lives no matter the opposition. This begs the observation that in order to look back and see such a wonder, we need to look at our own children today and ask ourselves the question, are we teaching them, and what are we teaching them?

As much as we’d like to pass off the duty to some other learned or novice teacher, or to some grand or meager institution, these entities may or may not be at all interested in your child’s character or spiritual growth, and most likely are not resolved or intent in training them in the way that would produce such God-driven future leaders. Parents, instruct your children in the law of the Lord, and both of you will have good success. Not feeling very successful? Here are ten words of encouragement and exhortation to help you along your parental path:

1. Are We Doing What God Desires? God is looking for parents who are willing to sacrifice their time and concentrate their efforts on protecting their children from the influences of the world and placing them directly under the influence of the King. He is looking for parents who are willing to lay down their desires and plans in order to ensure that the next generation is one that is sanctified unto the Lord; holy and blameless.

Who will be the parents of children like Daniel, Joseph or Esther: full of wisdom and discernment; character and strength; conviction and humility; children of prayer and children of power. Will someone else teach them these things? Wh not you? God is looking to and fro across the earth to find those whose hearts are set on seeking Him.

2. What Does God Desire for Our Children?What He desires for our children is the same as what he wants for us: that we would all be refined and prepared for use in His plan, His purpose, and His Kingdom. For such a great calling, we cannot send our kids to just anyone for training, and definitely should not send them to the King’s enemy to be trained. We must protect them and train them as knights in a Kingdom. They need to be disciplined, holy, and set apart for the King’s use. How can He use those who serve under other gods? If God is looking for this generation to stand against the tide of present and future evil, then this generation needs to know what they believe and are not afraid to articulate that belief. The King of the past, present, and future desires a generation of parents, children, families, who are ready and willing to lay it all down and seek first the Kingdom of God.

3. Separate YourselfChristian parents must heed the warnings in Scripture. We must “come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). Our nation was started on that Scripture. The men who believed it and staked their claim on it were called Separatists. They continued to remain separate, even through many horrendous obstacles. We are rich and fat and comfortable and arrogant because of their sacrifices of separateness.

How can we raise a generation that is holy and blameless and set apart for the King’s service? We prepare them for that service by keeping them holy and blameless and set apart. We do it by sheltering them from the influences of the world, their own flesh, and the enemy of their souls. A soldier would be worthless and dangerous if he was under the King, but held allegiance with the enemy. He must be separate and set apart. That does not mean we become so separate that we are now a commune unto ourselves. It means that every circumstance and situation is explained to our children in the light of God’s Word and His commands for their life. It means that everything is seen through Biblical lenses as we go out and face the world together.

4. How long, O Lord? Faith for the Long-haulWe have a new generation of homeschoolers who are bringing children home and bringing curriculum home, but have no conviction or vision or sense of longevity. As soon as a trial comes, they are sending those kids right back out from under their wings. We have a new generation of homeschoolers who are doing so, because it is the latest Christian fad and it seems many in their church or circle of friends are homeschooling.

So they purchase what everyone else is purchasing - only to find that the sacrifice of their time and energy is too great and back to the world’s dominion they go. We have a new generation of homeschool moms who would rather be sipping a mocha while phoning a friend than be sitting with their children going over the fruit of the Spirit.

Or, they could put the phone down and read the book of Judges discussing the fact that everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Many homeschool moms spend too much time in silly arguments on Facebook (ironically discussing what seems right in their own eyes.) When these homeschool mom’s children come against the tide of the world’s ways and wisdom, great will be their fall if they have no Biblical foundation on which to stand.

A mealtime prayer, an hour on Sunday, and a good youth group will just not cut it. Kids are leaving that kind of faith. Children want to have something to stand for; a cause; a faith for the longhaul of life. We can daily help them to become warriors: contending with those who contend with God and His ways. We can teach them that God wants doers and not hearers only who deceive themselves. We have been raising hearers. We hand our child a good book, while we gossip with the neighbor. We have been raising hypocrites; those who look good outwardly, but their hearts are far from righteous. Lord, help us to finally takeour job seriously, to shepherd hearts, and stay the course.

5. Good Shepherds Lead Their SheepWhere are the parent-shepherds who will protect, shelter, guard and keep watch over their own little sheep? They are sending their kids to the wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing. They are asking others to guard their sheep. They are willingly placing their sheep in harm’s way. Their children begin to follow any shepherd who will teach them the way they should go. Who will teach your sheep? You or some other shepherd?

We have a Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who has shown us how to lead sheep. He protects His sheep from the enemy. He leads them beside still waters. He leads them in paths of righteousness. May we be like Him with our own little lambs.

6. Let the Little Children ComeJesus asks that the children come to Him and not be sent away. Even the very elect said (and continue to say) to send them away. But, how can they come if we do not lead them? Jesus says, let them come. If we instead let them go, they may go to unsheltered environments that leave them open to harm. Or they may go to foolish companions. A companion of fools suffers harm (Proverbs 13:20). Fools (“who say in their heart that there is no God”) come in many role models that are causing harm—harm that may extend to future generations—harm that may draw them away from their families and swallow them up whole. On the other hand, a companion of Christ receives life. Let the children come; receive life—and you lead the way.

7. Entertainment or Enlightenment?To ask what kind of worldly enticements we should allow our children, is to ask what kind of harm we want them to endure. Will our children’s children be affected by the choices they make today? Nothing is harmless save th Word of God. Not only is it harmless, it brings life and light. We want children with enlightened eyes, not eyes that have seen more evil than good—more darkness than light. We want to be raising children who turn away from evil and do good; and whose good works shine brightly as evidence of their ties to heaven.

The best way to raise a weak Christian is to give him just enough of the world to water down any potency he had. The notion that introducing a little bit of the world’s ways will make a child able to stand against the world is nonsensical.

That reasoning does not play out logically. If you allow a child a little bit of ungodly entertainment, it does not make him stronger against it; it creates a desire in his flesh for more. If you allow a child to be drawn away from his Godly parents into a crowd of foolish youth, you do not make him stronger against foolishness; you encourage foolishness and then wonder why your children are suddenly becoming fools. Allowing them to be yoked together with unbelieving friends with the purpose of being “salt and light” may be a tragedy as they may neither be salt nor light, but may slowly lose their savor. They may become tasteless as they are forced to blend in with the world, hiding their light under a bushel.

8. How-To’s from Biblical Parents:So, how do we raise these kids? Let’s look at some Biblical parents: Manoah (Samson’s father), asked God how to raise his son. Manoah wanted to know how they should raise their son in order to fulfill God’s call on his life.

And then Manoah obeyed and did the hard thing of following through on God’s commands. (“Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, please . . . teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.’” Judges 13:8 ESV)

John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah ,prayed over his son, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” And the child grew and became strong in spirit”Luke 1:76-79.

We could have a heart like Hannah’s, giving our children to the Lord’s service, so that our children will also say, like her little Samuel said, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” (1Samuel 3:10)

We could be parents like Joseph and Mary who knew they were raising the seed of the Holy Spirit. They followed God’s specific leadings in regard to Jesus’ birth and upbringing so that it was said of Jesus that he grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52) May that be said of us and our children as well.

9. Sowing SeedsTo raise Godly children, we must plant Godly seeds all day, every day. This is hard to do if they are not home. Everyone else wants to plant seeds in your children’s heart. This generation of tolerance seekers makes their plea with your children to tolerate all beliefs, all people, and eventually, all sin. They are asking your children to sit down and shut up and allow everyone around them their freedom to sin. The seeds they plant will become noxious weeds. God is asking us to raise children who will stand up and be vocal about the One True God and about the need for repentance and salvation. If we plant Godly seeds in our children’s lives every day, they will grow into adults who will in turn, plant Godly seeds.

10. Revival of HolinessOur families need revival and that starts at the cross. At the cross we find holiness for the heart and home. We may be going to a dozen activities, but are we going to the cross regularly? Are we ready to put down what’s urgent, and pick up the Bible and wrestle through the Scriptures with our kids? Are we ready to put down the phone and pick up our little ones and pray over them? Are we ready to kneel down with our older children (who tower over us) that we might be side by side at the throne of God? Are we asking for direction and clarity over their present and future endeavors for the King? Are we following Him wholeheartedly in reverence and holiness? We are certainly not ready for our families to be revived if we are not ready to put away all the things that so easily weigh us down and pursue holiness.

Run toward the goal for the prize in Christ Jesus. We were not made to be bound to the things of this earth. We were made for running with patience a race that is heaven bound. Stop worrying about who is in the stands, or who is ahead or behind. Eyes firmly fixed on Jesus as we run; not sitting as a bystander; not hoping our kids will someday enter the race; not spending our time deciding which race to have them enter. Rather, let’s drop all else and bring our kids with us as we run together. Father God, give us zeal, passion, vision, strength and commitment as we have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back; no turning back.

Today is the day to press forward and not look back or shrink back. We move ahead in faith because God has given us every good reason to keep His children Home Where They Belong.

Deborah Wuehler is the Senior Editor for TOS, participating author in The Homeschool Minute, wife to Richard, and mom to eight gifts from heaven. She loves digging for buried treasure in the Word, reading, writing, homeschooling, and dark chocolate! You may contact her at senioreditor@TheOldSchoolhouse.com.

Copyright 2014, used with permission. All rights reserved by author. Originally appeared in the Annual Print 2014 issue of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, the family education magazine. Read the magazine free at www.TOSMagazine.com or read it on the go and download the free apps at www.TOSApps.com to read the magazine on your mobile devices.