What is a Bible-based education?
Well, to start, it is Bible-based! It is focused on what God expects of parents. It should come as no surprise that it takes a man and a woman to produce children. It is also not hard to imagine that the God who created the ability to procreate would expect the procreators to complete the job by raising the children while teaching them to know and love Him.
This, incidentally, is a full time job. There is actually no time for school. There is also no mention in the Bible of shoving the job into someone else’s hands. So it remains the parents’ job. Not their right or preeminence in education, but their God ordained responsibility.
Therefore Bible-based education is simply not following the world, but obeying God and raising, training and teaching the children, yourself, at home. It is obeying God’s directives as outlined in the Bible. It is God centred, family-based and it happens at home. If the parents are truly following God, home is the best environment for the raising of Godly children.
Bible-based education is often called traditional home education, implying, maybe, that once upon a time, most parents taught their own children or hired others to help them with that responsibility. While it may be “old-fashioned” it is still the best alternative.
Bible-based education is natural learning because we’re working with what God has created, in keeping with the children’s abilities, gifts, talents, readiness and so on, as well as their shortcomings within the family environment.
It is a matter of developing what God has created in God’s timing and in God’s way. It is not making something of the children. The children are already made, created as is! No need to program them. Nope, just provide opportunities to develop what is there.
Bible-based education is understanding that only God knows the future and that the children’s place as adults will be determined and directed by God, not parents, although it is important to understand that the more we put into those children, the better their options become.
The biggest issue with parenting is that parents often think they have to prepare children for a future they know nothing about. We need to acknowledge that the children’s futures are in the hands of the only one who knows the future and that is God.
This is very important to understand. Parents have the task of preparing the children so God can direct them in their futures. It still requires responsibility, but without control. We ultimately do not have control over the future, nor our children’s place in it.
There you have it! No fears or concerns because God has it all in control! Well, maybe reduced fears and concerns since we cannot fully understand everything. However, it is safe to say that a biblical home education should be a relaxed learning atmosphere. Doesn’t that sound like the way you want it?
There should be no stress and there most certainly should never be burnouts. God did not create us to burn out. If we’re burning out, we’re likely doing something wrong. Relax, seek God, do your best and trust in Him. He will not disappoint those who have faith.
That is a “biblical home education”.