We have officially started another year of homeschooling! I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for our family this year. I'm praying it be a year of spiritual growth for us all. Now with that can come some hard things. But I am continuing to pray and trust the Lord that he will accomplish his will in our lives.
Sanctification... One of my favorite yet least favorite words, lol. Let me explain...
“Sanctification is the process by which God’s holy spirit transforms believers’ thoughts, motives, and behavior to conform to the holiness and purity of Christ himself”
-R.C. Sproul
When we realize that the discipleship of our children is one of the means the Lord is using to shape us more into the image of Christ, we can better understand that homeschooling is not just to teach our children to read and write - but to have an eternal focus for both our children and ourselves.
This eternal view should turn our hearts towards our children and the state of their souls. Viewing our homeschool through a biblical lens is where God uses our schedules, the lessons, our children, and each of their personalities and sins as a big piece of sandpaper in our lives. This is God’s sanctifying work. He causes us to die to ourselves for the sake of our children in order to obey his command to train them in righteousness.
Often God’s sanding begins before we even get out of bed in the morning - an opportunity presents itself to train the heart of my child. As the day goes on, it’s us wanting to be finished with math by 11 am but the new concept being introduced is challenging causing one child to struggle. All of this is sanding away our self-imposed timelines and expectations for the day. The sanding hurts, it's slow and tedious, and in the day-to-day it’s barely noticeable. Yet, as we look back on the month or previous school years, we see the faint smoothing of the rough edges of our life being transformed by the hand of God.
“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
We are only able to homeschool and disciple our children correctly because of God working in and through us. It is God’s sanctifying grace alone that guarantees anything “good” coming from our efforts.
So, if you're just beginning homeschooling or have been doing it for years, continue to trust in the Lord that he is working this all out for our good and his glory!
Alongside you,
Kira