Discipleship takes a lot of time. Often it takes weeks, months and even years of one-on-one time to help someone grow in their relationship with Christ. Even when we invest that sort of time in a person, we often find that we don’t really know them as we thought. People can surprise us with the sins that are hidden in their heart.

Their Heart

One of the benefits of homeschooling is the amount of time we get to spend with our kids to be apart of discipling them. Working one on one with our kids every day gives us a new window into their heart. We get to see them in a different light when we work with them every day through the subjects they enjoy and take delight in.

We also get to see them work through the subjects they would do just about anything to avoid. A child that does not want to do their math homework has a problem. We can recognize it for what it is, a heart of rebellion. While this is not really the most fun for us to deal with day in and day out, it can be a great benefit to us as parents. Of course, it doesn’t seem like a advantage when you have just spent an hour with your child getting them to do a worksheet that they decided against doing. The benefit of seeing into the hearts of our kids is something we need to be reminded about.  Here is something Paul Tripp has to say about this:

But the reality is that if your eyes ever see, or your ears ever hear the sin, weakness, rebellion or failure of your children, it’s never an imposition. It’s never an interruption. It’s never a hassle. It’s always grace. God loves your children; he’s put them in a family of faith, and in relentless grace he will reveal their need to you again and again so that you can be his tool of awareness, conviction, repentance, faith and change. And because in these moments he asks you to forsake your agenda for his, this opportunity of grace isn’t just for your children, it’s for you as well. (Tripp, Parenting Its Never an Interruption)

In the article referenced, Paul Tripp makes the point that every time we see the sin of our children, it is God’s grace that we have an opportunity for him to use us in their lives. What better way to get this opportunity every day then by spending it in one on one time with our kids as we educate them at home.

Our Heart

Paul also brought up that these moments of God’s grace are also for us. We all wish we could stick to our schedule for the day, that we could get all the schoolwork done without complaints, and that our children would go through their school day with smiles on their faces and an eager desire to learn. Unfortunately, it seems those days are infrequent, if ever. The most difficult days are also the days that God works on our hearts as well. God often uses our kids to reveal the heart issues that he wants to address in us.

Homeschooling is not easy and homeschooling well is even less so. Homeschooling while we attempt to be used by God to work on the heart of our child is not an easy task. One thing we can be certain of is that not only is God with us every day, but also that He loves both us and our kids as we do this together.  

So, let’s remember that homeschooling is not just an alternative way of educating our kids, it is also about their, and our, discipleship. It’s not something we have to do alone but with the community of believers behind us.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about homeschooling or joining us for our weekly get together, email us at homeschool@jfbelievers.com