How Should Christians Educate Their Children

By Xiyu

When it comes to the education of children, every parent hopes that their children can have a true life. However, as a Christian, how should we educate our children so that they can walk on the true path of human life?

1. Guiding Children to Believe in and Worship God Is a Responsibility That Parents Cannot Shirk.

We Christians all believe that God exists, that He created this world and mankind, and that all things survive under His sovereignty. The future and fate of everyone is also controlled by God. It’s a self-evident truth that we created beings should believe in God and worship God. Thus, it is the unshirkable responsibility and obligation of parents to guide children to believe in God and worship God.

God’s words say: “Are you aware of the burden on your shoulders, your commission, and your responsibility? … Has it ever occurred to you how grieved and anxious God’s heart is? How can He bear to see innocent mankind, whom He created with His own hands, suffering such torment? Human beings, after all, are the victims who have been poisoned. And although man has survived to this day, who would have known that mankind has long been poisoned by the evil one? Have you forgotten that you are one of the victims? Are you not willing to strive, out of your love for God, to save these survivors?”

From God’s words, we can see His will. We have come before God and thus seen clearly the corruption and evil of this world. But, there are still countless people struggling in darkness, and our children are no exception. Seduced and deluded by evil trends of the world, they spend all their time in cyber cafes, fall in love too early in life, show off, and so on. They are living in the deception and corruption of Satan, yet are completely unaware. Therefore, we have the responsibility to bear witness to God’s work to let them know the meaning of God creating all things and mankind, how Satan corrupts mankind, and how God saves man. This way, they will come to know what positive things are and what negative things are so that they can discern evil worldly trends and develop a correct direction for their life.

We can recall when Noah built the ark. He not only accepted God’s calling and commission to build it according to His will, but led his children to do it with him, striving to bring them before God. At last, Noah’s family of eight entered the ark, and survived the flood. Noah fulfilled a father’s duty. As a Christian that truly believes in God, we should follow Noah’s example and bring our children before God. If we take the path of believing in God but let them take Satan’s path and follow the evil trends of the world, we will ruin their opportunity of believing in God and receiving His salvation, and at last, we will have eternal regret because of failing to fulfill our responsibilities.

2. Guide Our Children to Walk the Correct Path of Life in Accordance With God’s Words

In the beginning, we believed in God and followed Him, for we were conquered by Him when we saw His word holds authority and power and cannot be expressed by anyone. Therefore, to educate our children to come before God, we should guide them to read more of God’s words, educate them in accordance with God’s words, and guide them to seek the truth and walk the right path of life.

Nowadays, it is the age where science and technology are developing rapidly. Everyone wants to have a foothold to live on in society through pursuing knowledge. But, as believers in God, we know that it is not the true life to pursue knowledge or to rise above others, and that only attaining the truth is the most precious. It is recorded in the Bible: “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). “Happy is the man that finds wisdom, and the man that gets understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things you can desire are not to be compared to her” (Proverbs 3:13–15). The wisdom and understanding mentioned in these scriptures above undoubtedly mean that we believers in God come to know Him and attain His praise and blessings. What pleases God and is blessed by Him is learning some practical knowledge to read His words and understand the truth, dedicating a portion of our energy to bear witness to God and spread His gospel, and following Christ to walk the proper path of life.

As a disciple of the Lord Jesus, Peter didn’t have profound cultural knowledge, nor did he pursue to rise above others. Instead, he pursued the truth, followed the way of the Lord and spent for the Lord throughout his life. He didn’t attain the worldly riches, but gained heavenly glory because the Lord Jesus looked favorably upon him and He gave him the key to the heavenly kingdom. On the contrary, if we educate our children to rise above others, bring honor to our ancestors and blindly pursue knowledge to gain the fame and status in the world, then we are too foolish. God’s words say: “If people have a genuine understanding of God’s disposition, and can give heartfelt praise to His holiness and righteousness, then it means they truly know Him and possess the truth; only then do they live in the light. Only once a person’s view of the world and of life changes does one undergo a fundamental transformation. When one has a life goal and comports oneself according to the truth, when one submits absolutely to God and lives by His words, when one feels peaceful and illuminated to the depths of one’s soul, when one’s heart is free of darkness, and when one can live entirely free and unrestrained in God’s presence, only then does one lead a genuine human life, and only then has one become a person who possesses the truth. In addition, all the truths in your possession have come from God’s words and from God Himself. The Ruler of the entire universe and all things—God Most High—approves of you as a real person living a true human life. What could be more meaningful than God’s approval? This is what it means to be in possession of the truth.”

We can see that only when we understand and gain the truth and comport ourselves according to the truth can we have the true life. No matter how high our status or how abundant our knowledge is, it cannot bring true life for us. When God ends this evil and corrupt world in the last days, money, fame, fortune, status, and any other worldly things will turn into nothing in the disasters. We should educate our children to learn some practical knowledge, walk the right life path of believing in God and pursuing the truth, and gain God’s praise and blessings—this is the real and eternal glory.