A Good Education

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School children in Missouri in 1938. Courtesy Library of Congress.

Surely there are few parents who don’t at least wish their children could get a good education. For so very many parents, a good education for their children is far more than a wish. They sacrifice greatly to give that to their children.

Sadly, sometimes parents sacrifice a truly good education for a poorly-defined “good education.”

Sometimes the push to get what the academic world calls a good education puts children at risk spiritually. What God calls good can be far different from what the parent hears is good from whatever source the parent is hearing.

I recently read a curriculum review of a “secular” homeschool curriculum. My heart sank. Homeschooling is too wonderful an opportunity to waste. Why would a parent who can give a child teaching to prepare him for life and life after death settle for preparing him or her only for this life? I just don’t get it.

God makes a distinction between learning that is good and learning that isn’t. Not all knowledge is “created equal.” Knowledge is good if it is . . . well . . . good, if it is knowledge that builds up and leads to righteousness and goodness.

. . . for you were formerly darkness,
but now you are Light in the Lord;
walk as children of Light
(for the fruit of the Light
consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8-10

In 1 Corinthinas 8:1, Paul warned the Corinthian Christians that knowledge can “make arrogant.” In 1 Timothy 6:20, he wrote:

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you,
avoiding worldly and empty chatter
and the opposing arguments
of what is falsely called “knowledge”—
which some have professed
and thus gone astray from the faith.
1 Timothy 6:20

When thinking about a good education, let’s make sure we use God’s definition for good.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:10

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,
dwell on these things.
Philippians 4:8 

When we share knowledge with children, we have the wonderful opportunity to make sure it is knowledge worth sharing.

I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever;
To all generations I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth.
Psalm 89:1

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