Education: January 2011
Table of Contents
Education
To educate, Webster says, is to develop mentally and morally especially by instruction. It is the moral side of education that creates serious concerns for God’s people. It is one thing to teach mathematics or how to read and write or cook or plant a garden, but it is quite different to teach God’s way and will. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Prov. 1:7; 9:10). Any moral education which does not start with that truth as its foundation is wrong and harmful.
Last night at a detention center I noticed a sign over a classroom door which said, “Life Skills,” and listed several subjects taught in that room. The difficulty begins when the “life skills” teacher combines the mental instruction with the moral and they do not have God’s thoughts about the moral. As another has said, “Every time you say, ‘I think,’ you think wrong on every moral and spiritual subject unless your thoughts are formed by the Word of God.”
Not every person has the ability to teach basic life skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic. Yet they are an important part of daily life and need to be taught by someone. In most countries it is compulsory that a child be given such education. Who is going to teach what? This issue of The Christian addresses some of these needs and concerns with light from God’s Word.
The Education of Children
Education of our children has been necessary for most of man’s history and naturally has varied in different ages and from culture to culture. On the one hand, certain academic skills are necessary for almost any job and to enable one to function in life. On the other hand, much more is necessary for a child’s education than simply teaching him or her academically. Moral and spiritual values are even more important. Physical education and social skills are necessary too. As a result, many different theories about education have emerged, and there are strong feelings about these various viewpoints. For Christians who are seeking the best for their children, this often poses a real dilemma, for there are advantages and disadvantages to every method.
In this article, I would like to look at various modes of education and examine the advantages and disadvantages of each. It is not my intention to promote or endorse any one system, for circumstances and godly exercises vary greatly among different individuals, cultures, countries and even areas within countries.
Public Schools
Public education for younger children has been available in most countries for many years and has been a real boon to parents who otherwise would have difficulty in educating their children. Governments have recognized the advantages of making a reasonable education available to all, and thus public education has the advantage of being free and generally close at hand. In some places it is basically good, while in other places there are decided drawbacks.
Because public education is paid for with tax dollars, the general character and content of the education will necessarily reflect the attitude of the government that administers it. In a democratic country, it will likewise reflect the moral tone of the society that elects the government. In Western Europe and North America, it has been widely felt that during the past forty years or so, public schools have increasingly failed to maintain academic, moral and spiritual standards, as well as failing to guarantee physical protection for children. Unhappily, at least in some areas, this criticism is justified. A liberal humanistic approach to education, coupled with a lack of structure and firm discipline, has fostered an atmosphere in many schools that predicates against real learning, whether academic or moral and spiritual.
On the other hand, even if these things are true, many Christian parents feel that by providing a spiritually healthy home life and by arming their children with the Word of God, they can safely send them out into the world, knowing that they must, at some point, learn how to resist the attitude and spirit of the world and to walk a separate path. In addition, these same parents are usually willing to augment the academic teaching in the school and to make up for some of the shortcomings.
In the U.S.A., the concept of “charter schools” has emerged during the past twenty or thirty years. These are publicly funded, but are allowed more choice in innovative approaches to education. In most cases, these schools are better than traditional public schools. Enrollment, however, is often limited, and students may have to go some distance in order to attend such a school. Also, it is questionable whether the moral and spiritual tone of charter schools differs much from traditional public schools.
Secular Private Schools
Before public education became available to all, private schools were common, and even today they are widespread in some countries. They have the advantage of being administered by private individuals rather than government, and parents are able to choose a school whose objectives coincide with their own. Classes in private schools are generally smaller, with better equipment, and often students receive more individual attention by teachers with excellent credentials. For these reasons, the quality of education is frequently better than in public schools. Because parents are paying directly for their children’s education, their voice is usually more effective in influencing the approach to learning and the content of the curriculum.
There are a number of drawbacks, however, that must be considered in private education. First of all, the expense is often considerable and is out of the range of many families. Second, children may have to travel a considerable distance in order to attend such a school. Third, private schools are sometimes “the domain of the wealthy” and may tend to stress success in this world, together with an emphasis on participation in extracurricular programs such as clubs and sports activities. Often the educational process is deliberately aimed at preparing students for higher education and distinguished careers that advance them in this world. All of these considerations must be weighed by Christian parents before the Lord.
Private Christian Schools
Given the perceived decline in public school education, some Christian groups have organized their own private schools, in order to provide an education based on Christian values. Like secular private schools, these are privately funded and, as such, can plan their own curriculum within government guidelines, as well as teaching Christian principles and maintaining discipline according to the Word of God. Usually such schools do not restrict their enrollment only to Christians, but it is understood that all teaching will be based on and intertwined with Christianity.
Such schools are usually very good, in that they avoid the moral and spiritual perversion that is often characteristic of public schools. Many of the students come from Christian homes and thus share a similar outlook and values. The Word of God is generally read before the day begins, and prayer is offered.
Once again, there are some potential difficulties that must be considered, however. When children are in a public school and in a worldly atmosphere, they can be taught to be on guard regarding what they see and hear. In a Christian school, parents may feel that this guard is not needed, and children may wrongfully assume that whatever they are taught must be right, since it is coming from a Christian perspective. Considering the outward ruin of the church today, when Christendom has become a “great house,” this complacency is not always warranted. Many Christian schools are sponsored by particular Christian groups, and the teaching will necessarily reflect the beliefs of that group, whether scriptural or not.
More than this, when Christian children are brought together from many different backgrounds, it may have the tendency to emphasize the oneness of the family of God (which is a good thing in many ways) at the expense of careful adherence to the truth of the Word of God. Separation from that which is not according to the Word of God is a most necessary thing today, and this becomes more difficult when believers are often called to work together with those from many different groups. Things that are not according to God’s Word may be glossed over rather than addressed. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
Homeschooling
In the past 30-40 years, homeschooling has become increasingly popular, especially in North America. Homeschooling has many advantages. The children remain at home under the guidance of their parents, and thus the values instilled in them, as well as the academic teaching, are totally under parental control. Of course, most jurisdictions require periodic testing to make sure that the education conforms to government requirements. However, many programs are available by mail as well as on the Internet, which ensure a well-rounded curriculum. Worldly influences are avoided, and in every way “the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4 JND) can be maintained. There is liberty for the child to advance at his or her own pace and flexibility in arranging family holidays and trips. As public schools degenerate, homeschooling offers a very attractive alternative for believers.
As with other methods, there are some requirements and potential drawbacks that need to be considered. First of all, homeschooling requires a very organized and devoted mother, who is willing to be available and mentor the student(s) daily. She must be competent to understand and teach academically as well as in the moral and spiritual realm and to be willing to sacrifice herself for her children.
Second, there must be discipline in the use of time. Schools outside of the home require the student to get up at a certain time, to attend classes on time, and to complete assignments regularly. The lack of this compulsion with homeschooling may contribute to a lack of personal discipline, if a schedule is not maintained.
Third, there are frequently other (and often Christian) families in any given area who practice homeschooling, and there is a tendency for families to work together in this, since parents may have different skills. These parents often like to trade with each other in teaching. Again, when Christians are involved, our guard may be down, and separation from what is not according to the Word of God may be more difficult. Finally, the question of when a child does face the outside world must be considered. While it is wonderful to avoid the bad influences of the world, Scripture tells us that we are in the world, although not of the world. At some point, a child must go out into the world and be able to withstand its opposition, as well as witness to it. In the atmosphere of homeschooling, there can be almost complete isolation from the world, and the question must be addressed as to whether this will handicap a Christian child, if it is carried on too long.
In considering homeschooling, we should remember that it also restricts the children from the good teaching abilities that others have, as well as from bad influences. We should be careful not to base our decisions on the assumption that we have the best abilities to teach our children.
No One Right Way
In summary, I would only comment that there is no perfect way of educating our children in a sinful world. There are advantages and disadvantages to every method, and only by considering all the circumstances in our particular case and weighing all these carefully before the Lord can we make a right decision.
More than this, the atmosphere of the home is crucial, no matter what kind of education is chosen. If parents seek to bring the Lord into everything and to make His Word the guide for themselves and their children, it will have an effect on them that nothing else will. Children are strongly influenced by their parents, and as another has remarked, “Children generally want what their parents enjoy.” The parents’ influence is usually greater than the educational system, and a godly walk on their part will do much to counteract the bad influences around us today. If we as parents have the spirit of Ezra and those with him, who could “seek of Him a right way for us, and for our little ones” (Ezra 8:21), I believe that the Lord will show us that way.
W. J. Prost
Parental Responsibility
“[Ye] fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4 JND). In the words, “The discipline of the Lord,” the primary meaning is “training, teaching or education,” but it is the Lord’s training and teaching which have to be administered. The simple statement of the fact throws a new light upon the families of Christians. What earnestness and zeal are often manifested to provide for a child’s vocation in this world, and the anxiety for the child’s success is often a burden upon many a parent’s heart. And it is readily admitted that our children must be trained for some occupation to enable them to pass through this world, but the chief end of a parent’s stewardship is to train them up for the Lord. If the Lord be thus exalted in the education of the children, His favor will rest both upon them and upon their parents, and He will be with the parents to sustain them in their object and to subdue the hearts of the children to His blessed will. But as with the Jewish parent, so with the Christian: There must be diligence in this work. Every opportunity must be employed — ”When thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” — to impress upon them the blessed character of their relationship to the Lord and of their subjection to His gracious government and authority.
Then, moreover, there is also the “admonition” of the Lord. Two or three thoughts lie in this word: It includes reminding, warning, and perhaps advising. We all know how prone children (and we ourselves also) are to forget what is due to the Lord. A seasonable reminder will often in such a case check the beginning of a course of disobedience, and then, if there be the least sign of stubbornness, warning will find its proper place, coupled with earnest advice. But it must always be remembered that the reminder, the warning, and the advice must not spring from human counsels of prudence, but from the Lord. It is HIS admonition. His word, therefore, must be often employed for such an education, and hence the children will need to be constantly under the parents’ supervision and care. The temptation may be to say that such a standard is too high, but it cannot be, if it is the Lord’s own standard; we should seek for it step by step. That many of us may have to own our failures as we read these lines is more than probable; yet let us not doubt that if we humbly own it and seek grace from the Lord Himself, He will strengthen us for our responsibility, sustain us daily in meeting it, and bless His discipline and admonition to the eternal welfare of our children.
C. H. Mackintosh
The Education of Moses
Moses had a good education, and it is remarkable how he used it to deliver the people of God from the slavery of Egypt, enabling them to serve the Lord in freedom. In today’s world where so much emphasis is placed on education for the purpose of making a better world in which to live, this example of Moses serves us well. Many are faced with the decision of how far to go towards getting a good education. Many are compelled by law to go to school until a certain age, but after that, the question remains as to how much education we should have. Should a Christian who has a heavenly objective not continue with higher education? It is important to realize that our objectives are different from those who live for this world. On the other hand, many find it increasingly necessary to be better educated in order to be able to earn enough to support a family and serve the Lord well in their vocation.
The Prophecy of Abraham
When Moses was born, his parents must have known that the time for them to leave Egypt was approaching. The Lord God had revealed to Abraham that his descendents would be strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years and in the fourth generation they would return to the land of promise (Gen. 15:13-16). This family was of that fourth generation. The prophecy given to Abraham was recorded for us by Moses through divine inspiration, and most likely he received the historical recounting of it that had been passed on from generation to generation by their ancestors. This would indicate that his parents were aware of God’s promise to deliver them from Egypt within their lifetime.
The Faith of Moses’ Parents
When Amram and Jochebed saw that Moses was “a goodly child,” they believed God’s promises, causing them to hide Moses for three months and subsequently put him into the ark. Hebrews 11:23 says, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.” They hid him as long as they could, but when it was beyond their ability to protect him, they put him into the ark. The faith that trusts in the Lord when the care of our children is in our own hands will more readily trust in the Lord when their care is in the hands of another. If we learn to trust in the Lord for the proper upbringing while they are at home, we can learn to trust Him when they must leave home. Acting in faith and dependence on the Lord is more important than the choice of which school to attend, or whether it should be homeschool, public or private. The act of putting Moses into the ark was an act of dependence on God and is a beautiful picture of committing the child to Christ — the One who went into death for us. This is the basis of deliverance from the power of sin and Satan. God honored that faith by sending Pharaoh’s daughter to rescue him.
The same faith in Jehovah that would hide Moses from Pharaoh’s mandate of death would also later allow him to be educated by Pharaoh. Since the Lord showed His miraculous power of overruling to keep Moses alive through the intervention of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses’ parents could well trust the Lord to keep Moses during the time he was educated in Egypt by those of Pharaoh’s house. The parents were not seeking great things for Moses in allowing him to be raised and educated by Egypt, but were committing him to God’s sovereign will and power.
The Agenda of Egypt
Stephen tells us in Acts 7:21-22 that “Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” This was the agenda of Egypt. The educational world of today has this same aggrandizing desire; little or no place is given to the claims of God or the heavenly calling of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every school likes to have among its alumni those who have been successful and have advanced in this world.
It is important to see that Moses’ parents did not surrender their child to Egypt, but committed him to the One who was over Pharaoh. Their faith was in Jehovah. They allowed the Lord to take Moses and educate him. There was no compromise of position with the parents of Moses. They maintained their position as a separate people from Egypt; they were looking to leave Egypt for Canaan. This is an important point for us to recognize and follow, especially in higher education. We, as Christians, are called by Christ to heavenly blessings; we are pilgrims in the world. Our objectives are different. If we lose sight of this difference while being educated by the world, we will easily become a part of it. Our power of deliverance from the world is through faith in Christ (1 John 5:4-5). Moral separation from the world while we live in it will preserve us from its unholy influence. The daily reading of the Word of God gives sanctifying power. Practical sanctification through reading the Word and obedience to it, along with Christ’s sanctifying Himself to help us from heaven, is sufficient to preserve us and will give power to deliver others from the world as Moses did when he came to years. (See John 17:15-19.)
Leaving Egypt
Having received the education of Egypt during the first forty years, Moses continued another forty years of education in the desert. God was preparing him for the appropriate time when he would be ready to deliver the children of Israel from Egypt. He “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:24). The world is full of self-seeking people. Moses, who was educated by Egypt, saw this and did not feel obligated to serve Egypt. The believer owes nothing to the world that chooses the pleasures of sin at the expense of God. “Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness” (Ex. 5:1). Now the Lord wanted His people Israel to go three days’ journey into the wilderness to worship Him. He had every right to call them out.
Moses was educated and prepared of God to deliver Israel from Egypt. Not only was he raised up for Israel’s salvation, but he is the instrument God used to give us the first five books of the Bible. They were divinely inspired, but also are the product of one who was well educated. These five books are by far the best record we have of the early history of man. Moses applied himself well to his studies for the Lord’s sake.
But Pharaoh resisted their leaving Egypt. He wanted their services, but his lack of care for their welfare proved that he did not deserve their service in Egypt. With good reason Moses would esteem “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:26-27). This is the kind of test we are faced with in the world today. The world will gladly use the Christian’s abilities for its own end and purposes. But for those who own His claims and are faithful to the Lord as Moses (Heb. 3:5), there will be strong resistance against leaving Egypt (the world) or doing anything for the Lord.
They That Use the World
In considering how much education to get, the challenge before us is how to use the things of this world for the coming world. We are told in 1 Corinthians 7:31, “They that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.” If we use our education to serve ourselves, we are abusing it. God created all things and gave us the use of them with the purpose of using them together with Him. When the world passes away, as it indeed shall, those who have used the world for the Lord will not lose out.
The Lord’s Freeman
In the same chapter, 1 Corinthians 7, we have more good, practical instruction to those who might want to change their earthly occupation after being saved. We read, “Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men” (1 Cor. 7:21-23). These verses are helpful in establishing priorities concerning employment, our profession and how much education is needed. Christians who choose an occupation that will entail their working for another (have an employer), are not free to serve the Lord during their work time; there is liberty for them to serve the Lord after work. Those who have an occupation where they are self-employed are free to serve the Lord while working. There is the danger for the self-employed, however, to become overly occupied with their work. If the self-employed control the business well, they will have more free time and/or funds to use for the Lord. These things should be considered when deciding on an occupation or job. These verses remind us of the benefit of being free to serve the Lord — “if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.” Many occupations that allow this freedom require more education. This example of how Moses was preserved while being educated is particularly instructive for those who need an education. Moses got an education from the world, and then he turned around and used it to deliver souls from the world.
Not all are called to go on to higher education. There is no simple answer to this question that serves for all. Dependence on and obedience to the Lord will direct each one. “Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer” (Psa. 17:4).
D. C. Buchanan
Preparation for School
Christian parents who have a godly care for the welfare of their children may well be concerned when the time comes for the children to go to school with all its dangerous influences. On the one hand, there stands the divine instruction to “bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4 JND), and, on the other hand, there is the system of compulsory education which turns them over to the ungodly (generally speaking) for much of their “admonition” or instruction.
We should not underestimate the evil influences which are brought to bear on our children in the schools and colleges. Instead of the instruction of the Lord, the very Word of the Lord will be called in question and deliberate attempts will be made to shake their faith in God and the Holy Scriptures. They are taught to reason and then, by that process, to reason away divine inspiration and all that it reveals. The number of young people who come out of schools and colleges with their faith shaken is staggering. These English-speaking countries feel superior to third-world countries and yet are laying the groundwork for the same type of “overthrow of God” by the concerted undermining of the faith of the younger generations.
Strife for Greatness
Besides this danger to their faith, the influence of the world’s teaching tends to obscure the Christian’s hope and calling. The whole system of the world’s philosophy is calculated to instill pride and imbue with the spirit of aggrandizement, or, in other words, it fosters and promotes the idea that each one should strive to be great in this world. There is not the least thought given to the fact that a Christian is called out of this world to live for the Lord Jesus and to wait for Him. Such a thing as a Christian’s learning in school what he needs to know in order to earn an honest living while he is going through this world is never considered. Of course, we should not expect anything else from the world; “they are of the world: therefore speak they of the world” (1 John 4:5); Satan is its god and prince and he makes good use of the whole educational system to further his ends.
The Moral Atmosphere
Another grave danger that besets the young in schools is the moral atmosphere. In some places this has deteriorated to an alarming degree, and dear young people from Christian homes are subjected to hearing and seeing filth and corruption. As the end approaches, the character of the “days of Lot” will be more in evidence; we know he was daily “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked,” and his children were deeply influenced.
The Preparation of Moses
But is there no solution for this dangerous and serious problem? Yes, there is. We can always go to Scripture and find precepts and examples that will help us in our troubles. In this instance we cite the case of Moses. As many would have viewed it, he was born at a most inopportune time; the children of Israel were slaves and made to feel it deeply. They were not free to do as they knew they should; they were entirely at the mercy of the ungodly (except for divine intervention), and an edict condemned Moses to death in the river. It was probably the worst time in all the history of Israel for a godly Israelite to bring up children, and Amram and Jochebed must have had great exercises and searchings of heart before God.
We believe that the answer is fully given in the divine record of Moses and of his parents. We see the faith of Jochebed in Exodus, and it is commended in that great chapter of faith — Hebrews 11. She was not disposed to accept things as they appeared, but went forward in faith. She carefully hid her son as long as she could, and then she had her faith richly rewarded by receiving him to bring up for a time in the surroundings of a God-fearing home. What could she do with these precious years while she brought him up? Would she make use of them to instruct Moses in the truth of God and give him a perspective that no college of Egypt could ever erase? It was not that she sought Egypt’s wisdom for him, but if he must have it, she must diligently use the intervening time to bring him up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, and she must also count on God to open his heart and make the good seed bear fruit. At last the time came, and “when the child was grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son” (Ex. 2:10 JND).
The Influence of School
The next word about Moses, in point of time, is found in Acts 7:22: “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” (Truly the wisdom of Egypt was great at that time.) But all the influences of the schools and palaces of Egypt could not efface the truth that had taken root — truth about God, about Israel, and about Egypt. So aware of the real facts was he that he deliberately “forsook Egypt” and all that pertained to it. He counted his association with the despised people of God of more worth than the passing glory of Egypt. We feel that much credit must go to his mother who evidently had fortified him against all the seductions of an Egypt that was opposed to God and all that was of Him. He was not moved by the dazzling spectacle of Pharaoh’s court, but chose to identify with the oppressed slaves. He was not swayed by the false heathen theories of creation, but under divine inspiration wrote the facts of creation, Genesis 1, that have withstood a thousand varying notions to the contrary.
Natural Prudence
Natural prudence might have sought to find an Israelitish school in Egypt which would have the approval of Pharaoh, but which would shield Moses from the evil teaching of paganism and infidelity, and also keep him from the moral corruption of Egypt’s institutions. But for such a school to have Pharaoh’s approval, it would have had to accommodate the hopes of Israel to the schemes of Egypt, and they were irreconcilable. A school of this type would never have prompted Moses to forsake Egypt, but rather would have taught him how to get along and advance in Egypt rather than to leave it. And so with us; shielding our children from infidelity and immorality would seem good, but if in doing so they are taught to receive the world’s philosophy of achievement and success, we protect them from one danger but expose them to another vortex of the world that leads to the destruction of their Christian testimony and happiness, and to the Lord’s dishonor.
Prepared for the Threefold Evil
We might well take a lesson from the building of a great dam or some great wall. Before it is built, the engineers carefully calculate the amount of pressure the structure will have to withstand. Then the foundations are made sufficiently strong to carry the weight, and the whole is carefully reinforced and buttressed to meet all the demands that will be placed upon it. In like manner, we should measure the threefold influence and pressure of infidelity, worldly philosophy, and immorality that will come against our young people, and then see that we carefully prepare them to meet it. We should not attempt to do it in our own strength, but, confessing our weakness to God, seek His help and guidance. It will be a constant duty to them and before the Lord, all the time they are in our homes and under our influence — not just the work of a day or a year. And they need to see that these precious things are the principles that actuate us, and that we are “persuaded of them” and that we confess that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). May our dear young people, then, be fortified and prepared for the threefold evil which they will surely meet.
1. May they be firmly rooted in the truth of the Word of God and its divine inspiration throughout, that they may stand in the wisdom of God and not of men.
2. May they always remember that we who are saved have been delivered from this present evil world and are waiting for our blessed Lord to come and take us to our inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled, and may they remember that all the glory of this world will come to nought, while he that does the will of God shall abide forever.
3. May they be deeply impressed with this solemn truth: God is “holy, holy, holy,” and He has said, “Be ye holy, for I am holy,” so as to “abhor that which is evil” and turn away from the least touch of that which defiles.
Adapted from P. Wilson
Higher Education
No one would seriously question the need for a basic education for children, but the question often arises as to how much education is necessary today. In western countries, most children automatically go on to “high school” and graduate at age seventeen to nineteen. Should they then automatically go on to so-called “higher education”? It is not an easy question to answer.
On the one hand, the world has become far more complicated than it was, say, fifty years ago, and many jobs have become far more sophisticated. While a high school education is sufficient for a few jobs, many now require more specialized training. This can sometimes be obtained by special courses while “on the job,” but many companies now look for university training even at the entry level. Certain professions such as engineering and medicine always require a university education. On the other hand, there are many “hands on” jobs, where the education can be obtained largely by apprenticeship, and there are still positions that offer “on the job” training.
The Tenor of His Way
In connection with all this, there is a good verse in Proverbs 22:6, which reads, “Train up a child according to the tenor of his way” (JND). This involves recognizing that every child is unique, including his or her aptitude for a particular type of work. Some children are academically inclined, while others are bent more toward manual work. Some have ability in mathematics, while others are more skilled in humanities subjects. It is important to recognize in a child “the tenor of his way” and to allow him or her to pursue a career in keeping with this. Of course, we must always remember that Scripture tells us, “Let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God” (1 Cor. 7:24). There are some occupations for which a believer may well be fitted naturally, but in which he would necessarily dishonor the Lord. We must always avoid this and pursue that in which we can honor Him.
A Means to an End
We must also keep in mind that everything in this world, including education, is a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Believers are to “use the world, as not disposing of it as their own” (1 Cor. 7:31 JND). Our purpose here is to seek Christ’s interests and to live for His glory, until He calls us home. Our choice of a career should be with the express purpose of helping us to this end, rather than seeking to advance ourselves in this world. Our career should not be our life; rather, we should be able to say like Paul, “For to me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). If we seek to follow the Lord, we can be assured that He will direct us to a job according to the tenor of our way and one in which we can also honor Him.
After finishing high school, some young people are very uncertain of what the Lord would have them do. As a result, some are going on to university without any definite purpose, except to get more education. While each must make his or her own decision before the Lord, it is better to have a more definite purpose, as it is well-known that the teaching and general atmosphere in most universities is becoming more and more anti-Christian. Those who are undecided are more easily influenced by these things.
What We Face
In the education world, man’s mind is given priority over divine revelation, and human reasoning presumes to try and deal with things that are beyond it. As the knowledge of God is willfully given up, we find Romans 1:22 to be very true: “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” The same chapter reminds us that the giving up of God also leads to moral corruption, as God allows man to see the end result of his course of rebellion.
When a young believer is placed in this setting, he or she must have a thorough grounding in the Word of God and be much in dependence on the Lord, so as not to be stumbled. More than one dear believer has listened to the arguments of infidel professors (and other students) and begun to question the veracity of God’s Word. More than one has succumbed to the peer pressure and ridicule of ungodly people and given up his faith, at least outwardly. Others have given in to temptation and seriously dishonored the Lord in a moral way. Frequently it is necessary to leave home in order to attend a particular university, and this imposes an added responsibility on a young person, as the godly influence of a Christian home may no longer be available to them. In such situations, the presence of an assembly in the area is a great mercy of the Lord, and the regular attendance at meetings is a great safeguard against many difficulties. Also, the godly pastoral care of others in the assembly is a further protection.
In this connection, a word to older ones in the local assembly may be in order. If students leave home to come and study in your area, it means much to them if you invite them to your home, especially on a Lord’s Day. I have been in that situation, and I can say from experience how much it meant when families invited me to have dinner with them and to enjoy their love and hospitality. It is lonely being a Christian away from home, and Christian fellowship goes a long way in alleviating this.
Priorities Tested
Most university courses entail a heavy workload. In order to keep good grades, some may feel it necessary to skip the weeknight assembly meetings, and also use a good portion of the Lord’s Day to study. While we are not under law, we can scarcely be “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10) if we are largely occupied with secular things. It is distressing to see young people (who could be much used of the Lord) spending much of the Lord’s Day studying, instead of helping with such outreaches as Sunday school and gospel work.
For these reasons, young people should be much before the Lord in undertaking higher education and should not do so lightly, especially if it involves moving away from home. More than this, deliberately removing one’s self from the ability to attend a local assembly exposes one to further temptation. Surely the Lord is able to keep us wherever we are, and we cannot lay down rules, but if the Lord is before us, He will surely lead us in a path where we can honor Him while getting our education.
Some may argue that many of the same temptations present in a university life are present in other career settings and are not unique to institutions of higher learning. This is true, and at no time can we let down our guard in this world, for Satan is active everywhere. However, the emphasis on man’s mind and reasoning powers make the university a special hotbed of infidelity, and the danger is proportionately higher.
In these last days, it is comforting to know that the Lord is able to give us a clean path through this world, in spite of the potential pitfalls. He has told us, “Occupy till I come,” and this includes using our abilities for His glory. If we are found seeking “first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness,” we will surely find that “all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33).
W. J. Prost
God’s School After Graduation
Graduation is a great event. After you complete your formal education and receive diplomas, it is well to remember that in our spiritual lives we never graduate from God’s school while we are in the world. The youngest and oldest saints are in that school. Here we are learning God and His grace on the one hand, and what poor things we are on the other. Here our capacities for the knowledge and enjoyment of Him in that scene of bliss are being formed.
Lessons More Advanced
You will find that in God’s school it is often the same, in one respect, as in the school you have just left, in that as we go on, the lessons become more advanced. How else would our experience grow? But we have a faithful, wise and loving Teacher. He leads us on from lesson to lesson with the perfect skill of One who knows the end from the beginning. He knows exactly how to bring us into more conformity to Himself, yet He does it in that perfect, divine love to us as His children. And He is too faithful to us to allow us to pass on without learning our lessons. Students in the world’s schools are sometimes passed along without having mastered their lessons, but our Father will take us back time and again over the same lesson if necessary.
Work Is Good
It is good to have the responsibility of earning a living, and it is well that it is so. Work has been a wonderful blessing to fallen man; without it, he is all the more the plaything of the devil. When man fell, God’s sentence was, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Gen. 3:19). But men have been seeking to circumvent this divine decree; they seek to eliminate toil and labor and to live by wit and scheme. Idleness, however, is not good; it has led to many falls. Many scriptures teach us the importance of honest labor. Just a few of the many are: “If any would not work, neither should he eat.” “Let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.” “We ... exhort ... that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.”
Choosing an Occupation
If you face the problem of choosing an occupation or, perhaps, training for some profession, do seek guidance and wisdom from above. The choice you make will probably determine much of the character of your future life. May your one desire be to be found in the path of the Lord’s will for you, and then to seek His help and grace to glorify Him in it.
Do not set your heart on being great in this world, for this is indeed a snare to the children of God. The One whom we follow was not great here — He was rejected. Pride is in all hearts, and it easily leads us to aspire to prominence here. Remember that Satan is the god and prince of this world, and the higher we get in it, the closer we are to him who is its ruler. If you should be thrust into an important position, you will need more grace to walk with God in it.
Beware, too, of the snare of seeking to be rich. It is the love of money that is a root of every evil. People who love money will do what their own consciences condemn. We do not say that God may not give more material goods to some, but “if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.” Those who are rich are warned not to trust in the uncertainty of riches (and how uncertain they are!) but in the living God, and they are exhorted to be rich in good works and ready to distribute to those who have need.
May your desire be to be found to the glory of Christ at all times and to be ever alert to that which would take you out of the path of obedience and of the fear of God.
P. Wilson
A Parent’s Appeal
“They brought young children to Him, that He should touch them: and His disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased” (Mark 10:13-16).
I ask no worldly portion for my child;
I seek not of Thee gold or rank or fame;
Save it from sin, from human passions
wild —
An interest in Thy love is all I claim;
Lord, make it Thine — Thine only — is
my plea,
To love and serve and live alone for
Thee.
J. G. Deck