Schools started back up this week (if you couldn’t tell from the torrent of ‘First Day of School’ pictures that have dominated social media). I’m glad that the kids are getting to see their friends again and have the structure that school provides. I’m glad that they are being challenged to study and learn the different disciplines. But my first concern is: How are they doing spiritually?
For a while now there has been a saying that ‘God has been kicked out of school,’ meaning that anything that has to do with faith or religion cannot be taught or promoted in public schools. It’s different in different areas as to how much administrations enforce the no-religion-policy. My wife taught at a school in northwest Arkansas that strongly denied teachers and faculty from talking at all about God. In many places God has been kicked out of school.
And yet, this is where we send our kids five days a week. So how do we put God back into the place that has such a huge influence on our children? Well, that responsibility now falls to the students and their parents. Just because God has been kicked out of the school doesn’t mean that He can’t be there. You see, God is present at school when one student is kind to another even though it’s not the cool thing to do. God is present at school when a student invites another to church. God is present at school when a student brings their Bible and gets it out to read during free time. God is present at school when a student chooses to follow God’s commands rather than being liked by the world.
Parents and grandparents of students, I encourage you to sit down with your children and talk about how to honor God at school. Talk about different situations they may encounter (or already are encountering). Discuss with them a step-by-step plan to exemplify Christ among their peers. Pray together about staying unstained from the world.
Please do not take this encouragement lightly. Your children are worth more than a roll of the dice to see if they will develop a deep relationship and dependency on our Father. The devil is actively trying to influence your kids (1 Peter 5:8). Are you willing to work like the devil to influence them for Christ?
Let me know what I can do to help you.
Shawn