Why We Teach

Why Do I Teach?
Whether you homeschool, send your children to school, or your children are still too young for school, you are still a teacher. If you are a mother, you are a teacher.
What are you teaching and why?
As Mothers, we teach our children every moment of the day, by our example. You know it's true, because it has happened to you too. I'm not the only one. You've seen it. Your child is doing something entirely frustrating and you ask yourself, "Now, where did he learn that?" Probably one of those dreadful children at Sunday School no doubt. No, wait, I've seen that before . . . in myself. That's when you realize, that he learned it from you. Heartbreaking, isn't it? So we must decide for our selves what kind of example we are going to set each day.
We also teach by our reactions. I laugh at the young people who say, "My child will NEVER act that way." Once you've had children you realize that just about every one of them will do it at least once. Screaming in the store, throwing a fit, disobeying, fighting, the list goes on and on. The question is, what are you going to do about it? The way that we respond to our children's bad behavior will teach them what we think of that behavior. Yes, we dislike it when they misbehave, but sometimes children learn when it is okay to misbehave. If we give in after 2 or 3 times, children figure that out very quickly. If we stick to our rules and maintain discipline except when we're really tired, children tend to figure it out. Every time I hear a child throwing a fit in a store, I always feel bad for the children. Most people would probably feel bad for the parents. Think about it though. This child somehow learned that this was the best way to get attention and what they want from their parents. Yes, for those of you who are asking, I've had a child throw a fit and be loud in a store. It only happened once though :)
We teach our children by our example and we teach our children by our reactions, but what is the point of all this work? Why do we teach our children? Why is it so important? What is my motivation? What is the ultimate goal?
The ultimate goal of raising our children should be to lead them to Christ. Our testimony each day and our discipline should show our children their need for Christ. Our reactions to them should show God's love in us. I love how the Bible compares God to our Heavenly Father, but for some people this comparison is difficult to understand because their father was none of the things that God wants to be in their life. I want our home to be a reflection of what God desires for each of us to be.
If your children have accepted Christ as their Savior then your job is done, right? I don't think so. The Lord isn't finished with any of us. Our goal for our children is the same as God's goal for all His children. That is Christ-likeness. Our goal for our children is not that they'll be mild-mannered, well-behaved, obedient children. Our goal should be for them to be like Christ throughout their life.
Now, am I a perfect parent with delightful children 24 hours a day. Not really. I'm human and I have real-life normal children. We are a wild and crazy crew with tons of energy and plenty of volume. Still, we are working towards a greater goal. Raising children who love and honor God with their lives is our greatest desire and the ultimate goal for a Christian.



P.S.
Why did I start this long lecture on child-rearing today instead of a normal blog post about our day in school? Something that happened after school today. Because of all the rain outside, we decided to stay inside and watch one of our most educational children's program, "Tom and Jerry." Brittany started saying that Tom is mean and bad because of the way he treats Jerry. Bethany looked at her with the sweetest look on her face and she said, "I know Brittany, but Jesus loves Tom too." It's the little moments that make the work worthwhile and I can glimpse Christ in their lives.