It teaches the children that Dad's authority in the home does not derive from the fact that Dad is bigger, but that Dad also is under authority, God's authority, and that God appoints Dad to be his messenger to this home. It teaches the children that they belong, not to the state or the other would-be messiahs of the day, but to God, and that their future is in his hands. And as instruction in God's eternal word takes place in the home, it is an easy thing for other godly instruction to take place as well. The very good counsel of the very wise men of Edinburgh calls upon us to sacrifice our ease and comfort today for the sake of our children's good today and tomorrow. If we have never made a habit of Bible reading and prayer and intelligent conversation with our children, now is an excellent time to begin.
Long journeys can begin with little steps.
David Gamble, a specialist in Christian education, is the teaching elder at Grace Covenant Church in San Diego. The Lord recently blessed David and his wife Stephanie with the seventh student in their home school, Sarah Hope.