excused absence

I often pick up a book by Douglas Wilson called Excused Absence to further enhance my conviction of why I am not sending my children to public schools. The bible of course is my number one source of conviction. Blessed Mommy over at Homeschooling4Jesus posted here views on this subject and has moved me to share some quotes from this book and just a little of my views on the subject of whether christian parents should allow their children to go to public schools.

The school system that ignores God teaches its pupils to ignore God; and this is not neutrality. It is the worst form of antagonism, for it judges God to be unimportant and irrelevant in human affairs. This is atheism. ~Gordon H. Clark


I remember when I was still trying to decide whether or not I was going to send my children to school or keep them at home with me. It was for me a hard decision because I was and still am selfish and didn’t want to give up my time. Here was my battle inside…….send them to school and I get all day to clean my house, read, study my bible, sleep, go shopping if I want, play on the computer, watch TV, or just do whatever I want…………or keep them at home and totally give my life, every second of my time to tending to them. Now to my worldly mind the first option fed my selfish flesh and made it feel good but there was always a deeper cry convincing me to choose the second one. At the time I was not exactly sure as to what or where it was coming from. I knew of course of all the pains, trials, temptations and other things that went along with school and I wasn’t sure if I wanted my children to have to face those but of course those most often were overshadowed by the fun times of sports, friends, and just the experience in general. Now as I sit here having made the decision to keep my children at home with me I am thankful that I did not choose the second option. The thought of me sending my kids to a place where God is no where to be seen, heard, or spoken of is unacceptable for me. I serve God not our government. God has given me a high and holy calling of being a mother and I believe that that means taking on the full responsibility of it. He says to …..train them up in righteousness………..can we do that fully by sending them to public schools that ignore righteousness? Absolutely not, He also tells us in Eph. 6:4 “Bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” This can not be done if they are not with us and are being disciplined and instructed by the world. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says “And these words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.” I see this verse as a way of telling us parents that we are to be with our children pretty much every second of the day teaching them his Words. We are to obey every instruction that He gives us through His word, these are our instructions as parents, and how can we turn our backs on them. Now I do realize that there are some mothers who are not able to stay home and like John Piper says there is a grace for that but if you have no excuse to NOT stay home then let the Lord convict your heart and move you. Bring him glory in giving your life to Him in raising your children in His righteousness. It will be hard, uncomfortable, challenging, exhausting, and stressful but the crown of glory that awaits you will reign over all of those……….be assured of that! It is a reward that is worth all the sacrifices of self. It is our DIVINE CALLING to care and nurture the very souls of our children!! DIVINE CALLING.

“I advise no one to place his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every institution in which men are not increasingly occupied with the Word of God must become corrupt…I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth.” ~ Martin Luther