HOW SHOULD I EDUCATE MY CHILD?
Author: Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans
Translator: Karin Snygans
Someone asked me to, from a Christian point of view, talk about parents’ education to their children as well as parents’ conduct towards their children, in the times we now live in.
I want to start by saying, personally, I believe that education of a child, where the beginning and end of that education is not based on Christianity and anchored in our Lord's Word, then it is not a good education and when an education is not a good education, it's a bad education.
I will start, according to the Word, to talk about the head of the house, namely the father.
In the Christian way of education, it works like this:
PROV. 22: 6 : Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
The father, who is also the head of the house, must of course lead his child in the way Jesus would have done. In other words, throughout my child's education, I should always ask myself this question:
What would Jesus have done now? And then listen closely to the Holy Spirit in my heart.
Because things can so easily move in a wrong direction, we also need to read in the Word:
EPH 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Do you see what this instruction ends with?
EPH 6: 4 … instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
To put it differently:
EPH 6: 4… instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (like Jesus would have done) that would carry God's approval.
According to my personal point of view, the four most important principles that must be present in a father's life are the following:
• A true love relationship with our Lord.
• A true love relationship with the woman with whom he is married.
• A good knowledge of and a regular study of the Word.
• He must also be a role model for his children as to what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Now, I would also like to share with you about what the role of a mother should be in the household.
For me personally it is very insightful that, although the father is the head of the household, for our Lord, the mother of the children in the household is of such cardinal importance and her role in educating the children is of such importance, that He established it in the creation of His highest creation, namely man, that the mother has the very first physical contact with the child. She also has, by far, the closest contact with the child at his / her birth at the very beginning of the child's life.
Because you see – for the Lord's highest creation, He wants the absolute precise foundation to be laid right at the beginning and the mother of the child is the person He trusts to accomplish this.
From there onwards, it is not only the father or only the mother who cares for the child, but both the parents.
Therefore, the same four principles that must be present in the father’s life, will also apply to the mother’s life, namely:
• A true love relationship with our Lord.
• A true love relationship with the man she is married to.
• A good knowledge of and a regular study of the Word.
• Then she must also be a role model for her children of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
With these four principles in place in the parents' lives, a good and sound education of their children is inevitable.
Let us as parents never lose sight of the following fact:
PSM 127: 3 Children are the gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb.
I would like to again emphasize that the best way to educate your child is by the example you live. Because only then the message you want to convey to your child, will have strength and value.
I conclude this writing with the following from our Lord's word:
Do you remember what I said?
EFE 6: 4 … , bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord (like Jesus would have done) that would carry God's approval.
PSM 127: 3 Children are the gift of the Lord; the fruit of the womb.
We read:
EPH 5: 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
EPH 5: 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1PET 3: 8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
Greetings,
Sakkie