"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6

The above passage makes it clear that parents are responsible to God for the education or training of their children. Another way of interpreting Psalm 127:3 is children are God’s homework assignments to parents. Even if parents delegate some area of their child’s education to others, they are still answerable to God for what and how their children are taught.

Questions Christian parents can ask themselves to ensure they are assuming total responsibility for the education:

• Who or what is in control of educating my child at home?
• What influence does the media have on my child at home?
• What is my child being taught in church, Sunday school, and other church related activities?
• What is my child learning at school? From the teachers? From the textbooks? From the curriculum? From other students? From the school’s policies and procedures?

"You shall teach them to your children, talking to them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." -Deuteronomy 11:19

God tells us that training our children must be a consistent effort. This effort takes place when our children get up each morning, are at home, are away from the house and lie down to go to sleep. The only time we should not be diligently teaching our children the things of God is when they are asleep.

Questions Christian parents can ask themselves to ensure they are consistently teaching their child:

• What am I doing to diligently teach my child the things of God when they awaken each day?
• How am I diligently teaching my child God’s ways while they are at home?
• Is my child being taught God’s truth in all of their activities?
• What am I doing to reinforce God’s Word in my child when they finish every school day and go to bed?

"That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." - Psalm 78:6-7

Christian parents must never forget that the only goal with true meaning for why we educate our children is for them to know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. If our children become National Merit scholars and do not know Christ, what have we achieved of lasting value?

Questions Christian parents can ask themselves to ensure they are sharing the gospel with their children:

• Am I consistently sharing the gospel with my children?
• Am I a mature disciple of Christ?
• Is my life characterized by love, trust and obedience to Him?
• Do all the educational efforts that I provide my child, both at and away from home, point my child to Christ and help him follow Christ (i.e., music, movies, recreation, schooling, etc.)?

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever."- Isaiah 40:8

Life has no meaning apart from truth. God’s word is eternal and, therefore, is man‘s only source of truth. This means that everything that man studies must be scrutinized through the lens of scripture. This is the only way we can find true knowledge that will lead us to wisdom. Whatever we teach children and youth must be based on the absolute truth found in God‘s Word.

Questions Christian parents can ask themselves to ensure their children's education adheres to God's truth:

• Do we, as parents, know God’s Word and are growing in this knowledge by daily studying and meditation on it?
• Is what we teach our children at home, both in words and actions, founded on the truth of God’s Word?
• Do we, as parents, know what is being taught to our children through the media, entertainment, recreation, church, Sunday school, and school?
• Is everything that is being taught to our children outside the home grounded in the Word of God?

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." -Colossians 2:6-7

Because of the sacrifice on the cross Christ made on behalf of all men and in humble obedience to His Father, His name has been exalted above all other names. In fact, the Bible states that Jesus not only created everything but everything was created for Him. Christ is to be preeminent in everything--even the education of our children and youth. By doing this, it will lead us to the goal of seeing our children living in a personal intimate love relationship with Jesus.

Questions Christian parents can ask themselves to ensure we hold Christ as preeminent:

• Would our children know that Christ is our first love by our actions?
• Is Christ the focus of our church as it relates to training our children?
• Is Christ the center of our children’s schooling?
• Are our family’s activities things in which Christ would be comfortable and welcome?

"Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.'" -Matthew 19:13-14

Jesus showed a special love for children throughout His earthly ministry. When the disciples tried to keep children from getting too close to Jesus, He rebuked them very firmly. It was in this context that Jesus made statements about the seriousness of offending a young person.

We must simply ask ourselves...

"Are our children being taught anything that will draw them away from Jesus?"

This must be applied to anything and everything that we are teaching them or allowing others to teach them at home, church, school or in the community. This will allow us to better influence the future generations in teaching others the love of Christ.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight." -Proverbs 9:10

God created the entire universe--including every fact found in every subject one studies. Scripture makes it clear that God reveals His very character and nature to us through our understanding of His created world. The education that we provide our children must not merely give our children knowledge but must lead to true wisdom and understanding by causing children to see the God-intended meaning found in everything they learn.

Questions Christian parents can ask to ensure their children understand biblical wisdom:

• Have I developed a biblical frame of reference (worldview) that causes me to interpret the meaning of all knowledge and every aspect of life with its God-intended meaning?
• Does the education my children receive at home, church and school require them to submit their minds to God?
• Does the education my children receive lead them to interpret every aspect of creation in the light of His word?

"For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord." -1 Samuel 1:27-28

The task of raising children is awesome. Every parent will in some way delegate some of the responsibility to others to properly educate his/her children. This happens when we take them to church, allow them to go on the Internet, or send them to school. Consider who you are allowing to help you in educating your children.

Questions Christian parents can ask about those educating their children:

• Does each one fear God, love truth and hate covetousness?
• What can you do to ensure that these types of people are the only ones that you allow to help you educate your children?

It is true that we cannot control this in every situation. However, this principle can and must be applied in the major areas of life where our children are receiving training.

"What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." -Philippians 4:9

Every person has a worldview or an underlying belief system that drives his/her attitudes and actions in life. There are two possible worldviews one can hold – a God-centered worldview or a man-centered worldview. One’s worldview is primarily determined by the worldview of one’s teacher(s).

Questions Christian parents can ask to ensure their children understand a biblical worldview:

• Do I have a God-centered worldview?
• Do I think and act from a biblical perspective of life?
• What type of worldview is my child receiving and seeing in our home, in our church, and in his school?
• What type of worldview is being presented in the music my children listen to? In the media he is seeing and reading? In the textbooks he is studying?

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." -Colossians 3:1-2

God places a two-fold calling on every child’s life. The first and most important call in a child’s life is an eternal call. It is God’s desire that each child come to know Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. The second call is a temporal call. This involves God’s call for a person to live a life of service to Christ while here on earth. The education of children and youth must not only prepare them for a life of service here but also to stand before God for eternity.

Questions Christian parents can ask to ensure their children understand an eternal perspective:

• Why do I want my child to have a good education?
• How does my life reflect an eternal perspective as I live it before my children?
• How is the eternal perspective seen in the teaching of my children that takes place in my home, the church, and the school?
• Do I want my children to get a good job and have a comfortable lifestyle more than I want God to use them in any way He sees fit?