Homeschooling When You're Weary

credit

“Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  

 (Matthew 11:28)

"The purpose of the voice of condemnation is to push you away from His presence -- that which is the very source of your victory. The purpose of the voice of conviction is to press you into the face of Christ." ~Bob Sorge, Secrets of the Secret Place. 

Sometimes I forget that homeschooling is a spiritual endeavor.

 I forget that it is only through the empowering and equipping of God's Spirit that I have any hope of success. 

Somehow, though I know it to be true, that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I sometimes begin my day without a moment spent in His presence. Brushing Him breezily aside, I dive into my busy day without taking even a moment to consult with Him.

I wonder, how many of the "imperative" items on my to-do list might be cast aside if I had held them up to His wise eyes?  Better yet, if I sat before Him with an empty page and asked, "Lord, what would you have me to do today?" how different would my to-do list be?

It is no wonder then, when I fail miserably, that the voice of the enemy shouts loud words of condemnation into my ear. He plants feelings of failure, doubt, confusion, and defeat. That voice pushes me away from the things that are good and right. The voice of Satan isolates me from those fellow sojourners whom God has placed alongside to help me. His voice makes me doubt whether I have a right to an audience with the King Whose presence I have neglected so many times.

But God the Father is long suffering and forgiving, slow to anger and abounding in love. (Exodus 34:6) He forgets our sin of independence as quickly as we confess it, and He runs to take us in His arms and restore us to a right relationship with Him. Do you realize that the only time scripture reveals God hurrying is when He, as the waiting and watching Father, ran to welcome His prodigal home?

Whether you are enjoying success or are experiencing struggles, I encourage you to begin each day with an appointment with God. As you seek Him through prayer and His word, He will give you wisdom (James 1:5), strength (Philippians 4:13), freedom from fear and anxiety (Philippians 4:6), and clear direction for each day (Isaiah 30:21). 

 Even 15 minutes with the Savior each morning is an investment in the quality and effectiveness of your day, of your very life!  Time spent at Jesus' feet is never time wasted. Best of all, if your heart and mind are filled with His  words, then when the accuser whispers lies in to your ears, you will recognize whom it is that is speaking. 

Homeschooling mom, run to Jesus!

 Application Questions:

1. Do you tend to view your family’s homeschooling as an academic endeavor or a spiritual one?

2. If you view it as an academic one, are you missing out by not inviting God’s power into your day?

3. If you view it as a spiritual one, do you still have a tendency to homeschool in your own strength? 

4. How can you access God’s power during the day to enable and equip you for the task of homeschooling?

Action Step for This Week:

Write into your lesson plan a quiet time for all members of your family as the first part of your school day. If you have young children, set a goal to teach them to sit quietly with their Bibles for 15 minutes. Even a toddler can look through a picture Bible and pray a simple prayer.

Prayer of Commitment:

“Lord, I know that ‘apart from You, I can do nothing,’ (John 15:5) but sometimes I don’t act like it. I charge through my day and my to-do list without a glance Your way. I am so thankful that when I fail, You are there to gently remind me that You want to help me. Your ‘yoke is easy and Your burden is light’ when I operate within Your strength. Help me to seek You first in the morning, and to train my children to establish the habit of a daily quiet time.”

  Homeschooling is HARD!

This post is a sample from Lori's new devotional book, Joy in the Journey - Encouragement for Homeschooling Moms. 

With a devotion for every week of the school year, Joy in the Journey helps remind you that God wants to be a vital, active part of your homeschool. Each chapter contains devotions specific to what a homeschooling mom encounters each month, application questions, an action step, and a prayer. It's suitable for personal devotions or for use by your support group for meeting topic ideas.

You've invested in wonderful curriculum for your children's  school year, why not invest in something for yourself?

To read more about Joy in the Journey and what other homeschooling moms are saying about it, click here.

To order a paperback copy from Mardel, click here. 
To order an Ebook from Amazon, click here.


To read the post "Homeschooling--The hardest thing I've ever done" Click here.
To read the post "Homeschooling--When you've lost your joy," Click Here.
To read the post "Homeschooling and God's mercy--When you feel like a failure," Click Here.
Was this post encouraging to you? Would you click on the button below to share it with a friend?

To receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts in your inbox, enter your email address here:





Delivered by FeedBurner

InLinkz.com