Why We Need God in Education Today
What’s the purpose of education?
If you Google this question, there are a lot of different answers. Most explanations talk about developing young people to understand the world, be good citizens, or be equipped for their future. These are all good things. The question is, how can any of this be done without a discussion about who God is, His relationship to the world, what He says makes a good human, or what the future holds for a young person?
As a Christian parent, you understand there is no such thing as the sacred and the secular. The world isn’t divided into Sundays and all the other days. The reality of God permeates everything, because Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (1 John 1:3)
If we expect young people to have an accurate picture of the world and how to live a meaningful, purpose-driven life within it, then education has to have God at the center. It has to view, analyze, observe and explain the world through the lens of not just God’s existence, but His preeminence.
So what am I saying? Don’t hear me wrong, I have a lot of friends, whom I have a ton of respect for, that work in different educational contexts, and I think they are doing amazing things. I’m just saying that as a Christian educator and parent, purposeful education has to stem from a Biblical worldview.
What is purposeful education then? That's a big question. I want to give you three points that may not comprehensively answer this question, but definitely are part of the answer.
Develop Awe for God
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom Proverbs 9:10
In education, we talk a lot about higher-level learning, real-world applications and deep assimilations. The Bible says that the fear, or awe, of God is where wisdom starts. Wisdom is being able to make use of your knowledge, and knowledge is pretty pointless if it can’t be used in any meaningful way.
If we aren’t teaching the next generation about who God is, and how amazing His ways are, how can we expect them to attain wisdom? The obvious response is that it just won’t happen, and yet we’ve taken on, hailed, funded and applauded education models that don’t even attempt to do this. As a parent, I think it’s vital that my kids' education teaches them to awe the wonder of who God is.
Discover Who You Are
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:7
In today’s society, there is a lot of talk about being who you were born to be, being true to yourself, and being honest about who you really are. I completely agree! Unfortunately, a lot of the education that is being put out there isn’t helping young people truly know who they are and what their inherent value is. They are being told that they should follow their personal desires and thoughts, whatever excites them, or to look to the media to discover what’s attractive to them personally. I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty confusing. I know for me, at that stage in life, my emotions, feelings, and general understanding of the world was pretty inconsistent and immature. I’m very thankful that I had some guidance, mentors, and truth to help me navigate that season.
The Bible uses the imagery of family to describe our position and value as God sees it. Here’s the way I look at it. There aren’t any people more important to me than my wife and kids. When it comes to your kids, just think, everything you own, you share with them; if they do the slightest thing remotely well, you are convinced they are a superstar; when they mess up, you give them the benefit of the doubt because you believe in them; and most importantly, nothing could ever change how much you love and value them.
How can young people “find themselves” and “be true to themselves” if they are unclear on what it means to be part of the family of God? I think this may be one of the most important goals of education, to help young people learn the innate value they have, because they are a child of God!
Be Certain About Why We Are
Ok, I know that reads a little strange. However, you understand that purpose drives impact, there is no doubt about it. Today, so many people suffer from a lack of direction and passion. The result is unprecedented depression and anxiety in our society. People have all the material and physical benefits this world has to offer, and still feel like life is meaningless!
The Bible says, Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint. Prov. 29:18
Some translations say, “where there is no vision”. Basically it’s saying that when people don’t know why they are alive, what purpose there is, where meaningful direction can be found, they basically have no restraint or restrictions, they just…do, whatever. This oftentimes creates a sense of hopelessness. Some translations of the Bible even say it causes people to perish. That’s pretty strong language!
Most of today’s education models are devoid of anything remotely related to God and His purpose for your life. To suggest that there is anything beyond the natural is viewed as superstition and “not scientific" and therefore unwelcome in education.
I have to ask myself, if I believe the three points that I just made, and if I’m making educational choices for my three kids, which I am…if God isn’t in their education, then what’s the point?
