I shared with you in my last post (3 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Homeschool Your Children) that I view homeschooling as a ministry. For me, when I view it as anything BUT ministry then my attitude becomes irritable, tone gets harsh, priorities get out of wack, energy wains, and joy plummets.
To be clear, I believe Motherhood in its entirety is a ministry. From changing diapers to becoming a grandparent and everything in between, it’s all ministry. And it is a high and holy calling, regardless of how you choose to educate your children. But for brevity sake, in this particular post I’m specifically focusing on the ministry of homeschool within the scope of parenting.
I am so grateful for my homeschool mentor. She is full of BIblical wisdom and practical understanding of what it takes to educate your children at home. I was drawn to this woman because of the fruit of her four children, ages seven thru eighteen. They were kind, good conversationalists, obedient, creative, helpful, and most importantly… not weird. I mean, let’s be honest, homeschoolers have a stigma for being socially awkward. So, when I saw her four children behaving in ways that were both normal (in good ways) and abnormally good in other ways I couldn’t help but ask her to share her secrets with me!
I’ll never forget that summer morning sitting on her back porch enjoying my first cup of french press coffee… hmmm, maybe that’s the real reason I admire this woman??? 🙂 Anyways. With notebook and pen in hand I was ready to feverishly document her 10-Step Plan To Develop Awesome Non-Weird Homeschoolers. But what she told me that day was a million times better than any 10-step plan:
“Don’t even bother trying to teach your kids if you haven’t spent time in God’s word yourself. Then, with your children, before you crack open any of these books, you crack open THIS Book.”
These are the words I live by in my own approach to homeschool. Methodologies, philosophies, and curricula abound, but His word alone is the foundation of true wisdom and knowledge. I view homeschool as a full-time ministry position where I am the pastor, worship leader, missionary, and secretary all in one!
I’ve served in various ministry positions since I was twenty-one. But it doesn’t take but a few years in ministry before you realize a few things:
1. Ministry is hard.
Regardless of position or title, volunteer or vocational, formally trained or not – plain and simple, ministry is hard work. It is the work of spending our time, energy, and finances on people who are often resistant, stubborn, and rebellious towards training in righteousness. We all want the benefits without the disciplines, if possible! We can romanticize the work of ministry by imagining the fruit we hope to produce, the praise we expect to receive, and the souls we’re sure will be saved as a result of our labor for the Lord. We come into ministry with high hopes that are quickly dashed. In homeschooling our children we can easily experience the same let down when our ‘little congregants’ don’t bear the fruit we want, respect us like we want, and diligently work like we want. Oh, wait a minute… I forgot, ministry isn’t about what we want.
2. Ministry eventually becomes mundane.
50% of pastors starting out will not last five years in the ministry.* Why? Because ministry is hard, and ministry becomes mundane. When we begin any endeavor, be it ministry or something else, all sorts of motives and ambitions can fuel enthusiasm for our work. Any new job or venture comes with a certain level of recognition, maybe a prestigious title, and a sense of purpose and identity. Over time though, as the world chips away at these superficial personas, we will discover what truly motivates us at the heart level. Once the newness wears off and we’ve been at this thing for awhile then we’d better hope that something other than pride and selfish ambition are fueling our efforts… otherwise ministry will tear you apart.
Becoming a Homeschool Mom is no different – new purpose, new recognition, new identity. It’s an exciting endeavor full of expectation. But after five years I can tell you that it also becomes a ministry of the mundane. It is a day-in and day-out routine of dying to self for the sake of others. (It means you blog in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping because that’s the only time you have!) It can become the same ‘ol, same ‘ol sometimes, especially after schooling multiple children through the same material. It isn’t all fruit-bearing and harvesting. It’s day after day of planting, trusting that God is the One who waters.
3. Ministry is holy and under attack.
Anyone in ministry will tell you that something inexplainable happens when you’re purposing to share the love of Jesus with others. All hell breaks loose. Life doesn’t get easier, it gets harder. If we approach homeschool as a ministry then we shouldn’t be surprised when struggle rises, things break down, and Persecution introduces himself. People in ministry will also tell you that all too often it’s not enemy-fire that wounds a soldier of Christ, rather it’s friendly-fire. Oh what a very sad reality of spiritual warfare. When we purpose to homeschool our kids as a means of making disciples of Christ we best dress ourselves in the armor of God every day to protect ourselves from both enemy-fire and friendly-fire.
BUT.
Ministry that is hard, mundane, and under attack can also be the most satisfying and sanctifying experience on Earth! Whether it be homeschooling or any other endeavor, the key to effective, joyful, and persevering ministry is found not in what we do but why we do it.
Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Ephesians 6:7
Friends, readers of this blog, and fellow homeschooling parents ~ keep fighting the good fight! Keep doing whatever it is you do with enthusiasm, as if you were working for God himself – because you are! 🙂
*Statistics provided by The Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care Inc.
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**This post originally appeared at beautifullymessedup.com
Author: Niki Schemanski