I grew up in Christian education having been homeschooled until 5th grade, attended Christian school from 5th grade on, and even attended a Christian University. I am so thankful for the privilege I had to attend a Christian school and learn about God and Christian truths.
I was told in high-school by some classmates that if I attended BJU I would not learn how to live in the “real world.” I replied to them that “I rather be ‘sheltered’ and in God’s will rather than in the real world and out of God’s will and miserable.” I attended BJU and I learned how to live in the world from a Biblical view.
One thing that breaks my heart and brings a lot of frustrations are kids and people who attended these Christian schools (I am not being judgmental or any thing or even putting myself on a pedestal and trying to be “holier than thou”) , but it makes me sad as I look at pictures of people I went to school with on face book and see them living in the world…..as in the sinful world. It is as if they are throwing the Christian education they received away and doing what they want to do. I am coming to find out that kids that received a Christian education are no better than kids who did not--there are public school kids who turned out better than Christian School kids. Thankfully, there have been Christian school students who have gone out and served the Lord and stayed out of the sinful ways of the world.
I am just learning that even as a kindergarten teacher in a Christian school that no matter what I need to make sure I pray daily for my students and “grow up” that they will be the next David Brainerd and Amy Carmichael.
For my life, I pray I stick with the truths I learned growing up and stay out of the ways of the world and live only for HIM.
The teacher in a Christian School is just a small part of that child's life, it is how the children were raised by the parents and whether the parents instilled what they believed and why they believed it in the children. Just telling someone what to do without backing it up with scripture and love, will not instill the principles needed for the child to keep it when they grow up. I was not raised in a Christian home it was through Godly ladies like your mother who were willing to answer my questions of "why" with scripture that I still hold to the beliefs I was taught. I PTL for Godly weamples and teachers.
ReplyDeleteBTW - I know how you feel about friends who live "in the world" it saddens my heart also.
I agree with you Missy that its also the parent's job...I was just thinking of the kids who go through the Christian education and seems like they throw every away their teacher taught them...that is what makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I am not sure the last time that I was brokenhearted over this (Christian-school kids acting like the world)--it just doesn't surprise me anymore. Now, I don't think the Bible actually forbids certain things (e.g., nose piercings, oddly colored hair, etc.)--whether or not we'd prefer them. But I know of at least 4-5 girls who went to school around when I did who (I think) were pregnant before being married (not counting more who lived in sin, pregnant or not)...one is living with the baby's father and is still not married, and from what I can see her posts are still full of "pray about it" stuff from her friends and so on. A mutual friend told me another girl we'd known was now an atheist. (And this girl held many leadership positions, was VERY well respected, etc.) People call you judgmental if you call for any consistency in others' lives.
ReplyDeleteAlso, at a Christian University--at least, at mine--being a "good Christian" is the "cool" thing to do. You aren't openly immoral, profane, etc., unless you want to be kicked out, want to make a name for yourself as a rebel, etc. So unfortunately, I think it is extremely difficult for those struggling with what to believe: it's too easy to focus on how you LOOK to people. And I think a lot of people are in pain that we don't see. One of my regrets is that I was too bound by fear that "I might have to turn someone in for this" to really seek to listen to people, to just use common sense and try to help them.
But change has to come from the heart--from the inside out. There are plenty who perform like stars and make it through with flying colors, but once they get where it's not "cool" to be a good girl, a Christian, whatever, they start conforming to sinful patterns, which inevitably lead to destruction.