Are you are feeling some of the heat of homeschooling burn-out (or maybe a lot)? Or perhaps it’s just that feeling like things are a bit mundane and you are going through the same motions day after day. I definitely experience that from time to time. But I have learned how to refresh my mind and attitude toward homeschooling by reframing my job as a minister of the Lord, rather than just a homeschooling mom. I invite you to meditate on some of the verses that help me experience excitement and enthusiasm again for the tough–and sometimes tedious–work we do every day.
God’s Word reminds us that:
. . . whatever you do work at it with all your heart as for the Lord . . .
Colossians 3:23
This verse sits in the context of how a servant should go about his work for his master. And it reminds us that no matter who our earthly authorities are, even when we feel like we direct our own actions, they are all really for Him. That is so exciting to me! I wash dishes for the Lord. I buy groceries for the Lord. And I teach the hearts and minds of my children for the Lord!
But it is doubly exciting to realize that we not only homeschool for the Lord in the context of taking care of His children for Him (as a servant for a master), but we homeschool as a ministry unto the Lord, Himself.
For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty , and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in . . . For when you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:35 & 40
Our children need our love, our time, our witness, our patience when they can’t get that math problem right or sound out that word. Their precious souls need these things in the same way people need food and drink. And when we lay down our own pursuits, and hobbies, and ambitions to take up the job of doing this for them every day, we minister directly to the Lord.
Years ago, I was blessed to have a wonderful pastor for a short time before he retired, Bruce Warrenton, who used to say (and I paraphrase) that his favorite thing about fellowship was to recognize that it is the Jesus in him ministering to the Jesus in others. That is so beautiful to think about. Each day as I prepare for my homeschool day, I ask God to use me to speak to my children. And I remind myself that homeschooling is so much more than checking off every box in my planner. It is an opportunity to plant the seeds of the Holy Spirit in my children’s hearts and to witness Jesus’s undying love and steadfast patience to them.
The word ministry means service.
. . . whoever wants to be great among you must become your servant,
Matthew 20:26
I consider myself very fortunate that my parents chose to homeschool me. And this was back when it was pretty much unheard of. It was an incredible example to me of sacrificial love and service and it has shaped me in untold ways–far beyond giving me a wonderful education–which they probably never anticipated.
I regularly suffer from a lack of enthusiasm to make another lesson plan or drill addition facts one more time. And often the years ahead can seem daunting. But fortunately we have God’s Word to remind us Who we actually do these things for and the impact they can have in the lives of our children–and the world.
I leave you with one of my favorite quotes for homeschooling moms:
Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.
Andy Stanley
The caveat to this quote is that raising someone is doing something. Your value to the Lord’s Kingdom is not just in what you do for your church. It is what you live out every day in your home in front of the watchful eyes of your children. Homeschooling is so much more than a to-do list. It is an act of service to the Lord.
As a ministry to you, I have prepared some of my favorite Bible verses that speak to the homeschooling mom in me on printable note cards, as well as journaling pages for each verse. I also included blank cards and pages for you to add your own favorites. I hope they bless your heart as much as they have mine as we travel this homeschooling road together.
Happy homeschooling!
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