Before stone-throwers start aiming for my head, let me get this clear: I’m all for education. I think any activity that positively stimulates your brain is not only good for you but necessary. I also believe that education is not synonymous with going to school or university, although I wish it were. And for that I blame the educational system, parents, and the students themselves — not necessarily in that order. But that’s for another day.
Having cleared up that I’m not against education, let me say this: Too many parents today worship at the altar of education. School books are their children’s Bible. School fees are their tithes. And their own children are their sacrificial offerings to a god who cannot deliver them.
Their prayer? “May my child get good grades so he will become somebody in life and make good money.”
And to get that prayer answered they are ready to do anything. Really, ANYTHING. They’ll be quite flexible on everything else, but won’t compromise on their child’s education.
“My 14-year-old daughter wants to start dating guys I don’t even know. Well, what can I do, you know teenagers, you can’t keep them in the house.” Many parents will accept that behavior from their daughter, as long as she’s being ‘responsible’ with her school work.
“Our son finds church boring but he is so excited about video games. He’s a boy, you know, we can’t drag him to church.” I wonder what these parents would do if their son wanted to stay home playing video games instead of going to school.
“My daughter disrespects me, doesn’t help around the house, and has taken to going out drinking with friends till late at night on weekends. I’ve been turning a blind eye as long as it’s not affecting her grades.” In other words, I’ll take abuse, I’ll support an ungrateful bum financially, I’ll wait up late at night worried sick till you come home drunk — BUT DON’T YOU START DOING BADLY IN SCHOOL!
When did getting an education take the place of good old manners, moral values, and faith? When did it make up for them?
My mom blamed herself for being unable to put me through private school. But she did a better job instilling some values in me than any Harvard professor could. To her dismay at the time, I left school before entering my last year of college in order to go into full-time ministry. That was 20 years ago. She laid the groundwork to a successful life. My faith in God did the rest.
I think I’ve turned out just fine.
PS. I was inspired by this Jordan Grooms quote I stumbled upon the other day: “If God calls you to be a missionary, don't stoop to be a king.” But I think Job nailed it when he said:
“So where does Wisdom come from? And where does Insight live? It can’t be found by looking, no matter how deep you dig, no matter how high you fly. If you search through the graveyard and question the dead, they say, ‘We’ve only heard rumors of it.’ God alone knows the way to Wisdom, He knows the exact place to find it. He knows where everything is on earth, He sees everything under heaven. After He commanded the winds to blow and measured out the waters, arranged for the rain and set off explosions of thunder and lightning, He focused on Wisdom, made sure it was all set and tested and ready. Then He addressed the human race: ‘Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord—that’s Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.’” Job 28.20-28
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8 comments:
Bishop it is so true, we parents we think that good education is a garantee to proper adult life it is not, without God we suffer the same, with master in Pharmacy, I had sleepless nights, sometimes I would go for 4 nights without one wink of sleep, I would not even be tired in the morning. I feared passing the grave yard, I could not drive a car at night. I was so unhappy. But i met Jesus and my life fell into place. My children are in the private school, even today they were begging me to take them to a government school nearby, I promised them that They will go for one week if they like it there I will let them stay.
Very true Bishop. Many parents even stop their children from coming to youth group/church during exam times so they can study more...foolishness. If only they would teach their children that, in order to get extraordinary grades, you have to seek God and study HARD! Thankfully, God touches the hearts of the those youth that seek Him wholeheartedly and they realize this themselves.
oi bispo, isso aqui vai ser uma bomba nuclear na minha casa, mas eu vou matar esse "deus" ai.
Foi duas semanas atraz que eu falei pra minha mae que eu estava pronto a largar os meus estudos de arquitetura pra fazer a obra de Deus. Minha mae ja e da igreja mas quando falei isso. Olha!
Ela ate veio com argumentos a dizer: e melhor acabar os estudos porque olha, so! A igreija precisa de arquitetos, especialmente agora que estao construindo templos grandiosos para a gloria do nosso Deus,... depois entra pra obra. E continuou : filho imagina alguem pergunta Oh!, dona fulana como esta o seu filho? imagina que vergonhoso eu como mae dizer olha: Ele nao acabou os estudos para ser pastor! Imagina so!
Mas agora imagina o orgulho que eu teria ao dizer: Nao, meu se formou em arquitectura e hoje e pastor e ate e usado por Deus para construcao de catedrais.
Me lembro de uma mensagem que o senhor pregou la no rainbow a com respeito de Honra. Que os filhos do sacerdote pegavam a melhor parte das oferta para eles e o resto davam pra Deus. Isso e o que os pais tem feito. Pegando a melhor parte dos seus filhos para dar orgulho a eles do que pra Deus. Quer dizer ela quer que eu me empenhe 7 anos da minha juventude, gastar o melhor da minha forca pra um estudo de arquitectura para honra-la, pra trazer orgulho pra ela. Uhmm!
Mas gracas a Deus por essa mensagem!
Bishop Renato
Thank you for this article -it's so true.
Although my husband and I expect our son to work hard at school, we also ask him to work harder in getting to know the Lord Jesus - in obeying him and making him Lord of his life.
The only way to become "somebody in life" is by fearing God or as it says in the book of Job: ‘Here it is! Fear-of-the-Lord—that’s Wisdom, and Insight means shunning evil.’ Job 28:28. And to quote the Modern King James version of the Holy Bible: "And to man He said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom! And to depart from evil is understanding!” Job 28:28
P.S Bishop Renato, you've turned out to be more than just fine - you're so, so godly - a person can't get any finer than that.
Bispo, boa noite. Esta é a primeira vez que acesso o blog do senhor e fiquei muito feliz em saber que o senhor o tem. Mas gostaria de pedir, se fosse possível, que houvesse traduç"ao para o portugues, para que nós brasileiros possamos ser abençoados também. Obrigada. Rosana
I am a student and I agree COMPLETELY with your belief. I tried participating in the Youth Group as well as other services in the church, and I actually got better grades than those who spent so much time studying. I felt fine sleeping less everyday. But then when my mom saw that I was spending "too" much time in church and that it was "interfering with my sleep" she banned me from going to the Youth Group and I couldn't participate all that much in Church. Then my grades went down, and I felt tired all the time. So I agree that every student needs God and to read the Bible as their main source of textbook/guide for life. Every parent should realize that. So may God bless you so much more! [But I still continue going to church as much as possible, I still put God in Firstplace, and I will be entering College this September, with the Help/guidance of God of course!]
Pois é bispo...
A minha família se orgulharia se eu me formo e tiver uma profissão.. Ganhar bem...
O que é ótimo é claro, porém, eles repudiam o fato de eu servi a Deus!!!!
As pessoas, hoje em dia, têm educado seus filhos, com o melhor que esse mundo oferece, porém, esquecem de educá-los com a palavra de Deus... e hoje em dia, se cristão é sinônimo de ignorância!!!!!
É lamentável.
God Bless You forever!!!
An encounter with God is something very private, from one to one, from God to a person who opened her heart, even though the parents can "push" her son to go the church, if this one does not open his heart to God.. he won´t get anything.
Nobody can go to the Father, if the Father does not send him first.
So, more than to force your son/daughter to go to the church is to have a nice conversation with them to why is important to find JESUS.
Cheers!!
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