GOD-CENTERED FREEDOM
Colossians 2:6–7
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
What is the cure for the malaise in education? Decentralization. God’s system of government is always decentralized; it is composed of multiple governing authorities with distinct spheres of responsibility, jurisdictions, and sanctions. When everything is centralized, a few people can control what happens and make sure that everyone says and does the same thing. Freedom is lost. This is true in education. That’s why socialist countries always want centralized education, so they can teach every child the same thing and indoctrinate the upcoming generations in their dogma.
America is not formally socialist, but we do have a system of taxation that tends to force families into public schools. And while it is true that in a given school with a particular teacher, the public school can be a great experience for your child, this system doesn’t allow for an environment of competition where standards rise. Decentralization means we must have access to other options, such as private schools or homeschooling. It also means that control of the schools needs to be in the hands of parents and local administrators rather than having policies and curricula being dictated from above. What can you do personally to see that you are not being unduly influenced by the world’s system? Very simply, make sure you pass everything you see and read through the God-centered worldview we were looking at earlier. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men,” Paul warned (Colossians 2:8). God’s Word gives you a standard against which you can test any idea. But that means you must know the Word. Use education to maximize your skills under the rule of God.
REFLECTION: What can you do personally to see that you are not being unduly influenced by the world’s system? How can you be sure you and your family know God’s Word? How can you know how to pass what you hear through the grid of God’s Word?
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