Know What You Want - Part 2

(original post October 1, 2009)

What is it that we should most desire for our children in their education?
As Christians we must always be careful to take our cue from the Bible and not simply take the easy or seemingly attractive path. We are people who live in the world and must make our way in the world, but our thought life and motivations should always be drawn from a heavenly realm. We are not to adopt the world's ways. In the words of one sage, "Only dead fish swim with the stream."

So what do we want? A few verses of Scripture will help chart the course here. "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"(Matthew 16:26) "We will tell the next generation the wonderful deeds of the Lord." (Psalm 78:4) "He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." (1 Sam 2:26, Luke 2:52) "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8) "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor the strong man of his might, nor the rich man of his riches. But let him who boasts boast that he knows me, a God of lovingkindness, righteousness and justice." (Jer. 9:23,24)

From these let me suggest an educational target for parents. At the end of his training, the student should have gained in wisdom and be cultivating a heart of wisdom, which includes having fundamental skills to make his way in the world. He should know himself and he should know God in the way a good friend is known, which is more than simply accepting that God exists, but includes being able to articulate particulars about Him and His ways. The student, on finishing his education, should be able to discern the ideas that are presented to him, to assess them, and accept or reject those through the grid of truth. He should be able to stand in Christ, undistracted from eternal things by wealth, fame, power and what C.S. Lewis calls the Inner Ring. Finally, he should see his gifts, strengths and abilities as tools for blessing others and for moving the boundaries of Christ's kingdom forward.

If this is the educational trajectory chosen for a student then Math, Science, Literature, History, Reading and Writing will fall into place. And if you don't mind my saying so, this is where a Christian Classical education is most beneficial.