Why are Christian families around the world in a state of crisis? Broken Marriages, misplaced priorities, and rebellious children seem to be the norm in many Christian homes today. As Christian families adopt the lifestyles of the world and collapse under the weight of shattered relationships, they cease to be a demonstration of the love of Christ for His bride and the Heavenly Father’s care for His children.

Reasons for the Crisis Facing Christian Families Today

How did this grave crisis come upon us? Where did we go wrong? Sadly, many families have inadvertently believed the lie of secular humanism and have been lulled into thinking that Biblical patterns of life are irrelevant in light of contemporary culture. No longer do we see the need for developing heart-level relationships. Instead we develop programs to solve our many problems and selfishly indulge our own desires while thinking nothing for the training and nurture of coming generations.

At the heart of the matter is the abandoning of parental responsibility for the education of children. Now “experts”, not parents, engage in the training of the next generation. Typically these teachers only focus on developing the mind and the body with little or no attention to the conscience. Even worse, we have assigned this all-important job of instructing our precious ones to those that do not fear God and honor him in their teachings. We should not act surprised when we witness our children turning from the truth of God’s Word and embracing humanism.

God’s Prescription For Education

It is time for radical rediscovery of Biblical Patriarchy, motherhood, and the roles of sons and daughters. We need to experience a dramatic change in our system of values and a reordering of our priorities. Only by embracing the Christian Worldview and patterning our children’s education after the Biblical Hebrew model can we avert the crisis. This is not an elusive dream in our modern age, but rather a God honoring goal that can be achieved and will certainly be followed by great reward.

The Word of God speaks very clearly to the issue of the training and education of children in the Law, in examples like the life of Abraham, and in the very ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. The following Biblical command provides the basis for parent-directed, home-based education.

“And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Who is to carry out the education of our children? The parents. Where does the education take place? In the home. When does it occur? Whenever the parent and the child are together. How is it to be done? With great diligence. If we understand parental responsibility as God defines it in this passage, we have taken the first step in rebuilding our families.

Practical Steps in Rebuilding

Is there hope? When we have strayed so far from God’s design, is it possible to return to a God honoring model of family relationships? Already hundreds-of-thousands of families around the world are rediscovering God’s vision for their families and have taken up their responsibility for training up their children. These parents have come to know the blessing and delight of having sons and daughters who honor their parents and demonstrate lives of godly character.

One of the first steps in rebuilding our families is that we come to an understanding that God has ordained both ends and means for our lives. God has established not only the ends that we as Christians are to pursue – evangelizing the lost, making disciples, witnessing - but also the means to achieve these ends. We must not forget that the family is an essential means of achieving these ends and that throughout history God has worked in a mighty way through families.

The next step in rebuilding involves recommitting ourselves to upholding the family structure as God designed it and taking back the primary responsibility for the education of our children. We must humbly ask God for the wisdom needed to be the primary instructor of academic subjects and the main communicator of truth to the hearts of our children.

Blessings Unspeakable!

I distinctly remember the change God brought to my parents hearts when I was a small child. When they became inspired with God’s vision for our family they took upon themselves the responsibility for my education. I learned how God’s truth relates to all of life as I was taught academic subjects from a Biblical worldview. I learned how to think like a Christian as we discussed as a family problems in our society and the application of Biblical principles. Lessons of character were instilled in me as I learned diligence by washing dishes at the kitchen sink with my mother, creativity as I worked on building projects with my father, and attentiveness as I listened along with my brothers and sisters to the reading of God’s Word around the dinner table. Looking back, I see how God marvelously used this method of education to help me avoid the rebellious tendencies of youth and instead developed a submissive spirit of obedience to my parents. I can think of no better form of education and method of equipping for a dynamic life calling and ministry. Today I enjoy blessings unspeakable because of the love my parents demonstrated as they embraced a new way of life based on the old ways patterned by the Hebrew people.

My prayer is that thousands more in every nation will take up their God given roles as keeper of their children’s heart, discipler, teacher, and friend. What a glorious thing to see young people equipped by their parents with the character and skills necessary to become the next generation of Christian leaders and world changers. Just as Jesus amazed the scribes in the temple, the world will respond in amazement as it observes not only the academic excellence, but also the wisdom and understanding of these children who have been trained according to the Hebrew pattern of education. May the Lord be greatly glorified as we once again return to His vision for our families!

 

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