As Christian parents we need to consider 3 John 2: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
We pour our time, our energy, and our finances into raising and discipling our children, and when a son or daughter chooses a wayward track, we grieve. Inevitably we ask ourselves key questions: What could we have done differently? Is there anything I ignored in my parenting that could have altered the trajectory of my child? Did I do everything I could have according to the commands of God to raise my child up for the kingdom?
Though nothing we do guarantees faithful children apart from the grace of God, He has given us principles to follow as we raise our children in the fear and admonition of His Word. The decisions we make critically impact on their lives, and the type of school we choose ranks toward the top of the list.
I was reminded of this truth recently in talking with a prospective father looking for a new school for his children. He said, “I can no longer afford to send my kids to public school. It costs too much.” His frustration was clear: the promotion of a worldview antithetical to his faith, an abject lack of partnership, and diminished standards adversely affected his children. In other words, the moral costs were too high for him to continue.
This is not an attempt to lambaste public schools, but rather to point out the importance and necessity of Christian education. God gives parents one opportunity to raise our children, and few decisions offer as much import as where and how we choose to educate them. Raising our children to think and act biblically in a fallen world is not easy. If we have no greater joy than to see our children walk in the truth, Christian education becomes both an imperative and indispensible means to this end.
