Vol. 11  No. 1 – September, 2013

Back to School

Greg Gwin

 With the recent start of a new school term, we are back in the business of teaching our children the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. There are spelling words to learn, math problems to do, poster board projects to finish … and lunches to pack. As parents, we are concerned that our kids get a good education. We want them to be prepared for the future. We check to make sure that they have the necessary supplies, that homework assignments have been completed, and that tests have been studied for. We want them to do well, and we put forth a real effort to insure their educational progress. This is as it should be.

There’s another kind of learning that is far more important than the “book learnin’” received at school. It is the knowledge of God and His revealed will. Yet, we’re concerned that many parents do not emphasize this as much as school work.  This lack of emphasis is seen when:

– Students come to Bible class unprepared. Their assignments are not completed, and they have no idea about the subject matter to be discussed.

– Certain kids are frequently absent from the class. Students who miss as many as half of the class sessions are never going to gain much from these studies.

– Some students are not physically ready for class. They are present, but they’ve been allowed to stay up late Saturday night and can hardly keep their eyes open.

As parents, we would not tolerate these things when it comes to our children’s secular education. Why should we allow it in their study of God’s word?