Message summary: Today we watch the news and see so much evidence of the broken, fallen world we live in. The lessons from kindergarten are easily forgotten.

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"He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands" (Psalm 78:5-7).

My Amish neighbor Eli called me last week and asked if I could take the "kindergarten scholars" to the one room schoolhouse up the road from us. This was their first visit of two they will experience this semester. It was Friday morning and Brooksyne joined me as I picked them up early in the morning at their homes. The first one had an older sister join her, the other two were waiting and excitedly walked out to my van with a big smile as their mom and younger siblings looked on. How many of you remember your first day of kindergarten? I sure don't.

Later I took them home and they sure had a great time. I observed as the older students welcomed and accepted them; some of them were siblings to the young kindergartners. As all the students departed the school Silvia, the teacher, stood at the door and said farewell to each student by name.

Friedrich Fröbel created an institute for young children in Bad Blankenburg, Germany naming it "Kindergarten", meaning "Children's Garden". It seems that we just borrowed the word straight out.

Using the word "scholar" to describe a kindergartner may seem pretentious based upon the way we usually use the word today in describing someone who has done advanced study in a special field or a learned person. But that is actually the second definition given in the Merriam-Webster dictionary for "student".

The first definition is "student" one who receives instruction in a school, one who learns from a teacher". So calling a student "scholar" is absolutely correct!

Years ago Robert Fulghum wrote a book titled, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”, chronicling the simple childhood lessons we take for granted that have a lifelong impact. I read the book many years ago and now I wonder how many of our problems are a result of people never learning or applying these simple lessons we should have learned as children beginning in the home then at Kindergarten!

Here is a list from his book:

Today we watch the news and see so much evidence of the broken, fallen world we live in. The lessons from kindergarten are easily forgotten by many.

Parents desire that their children be successful and society has placed some very specific assumptions on what "success" is such as going to college to get higher education, getting a good job, making lots of money and having a lot of possessions. In our view many people are successful this way but not in other far more important ways.

Fundamentally, for the believer, teaching our children well and seeing that they are successful in what matters most embodies the essential truths of today's Scripture portion. Within the law of Moses is a very specific command in this regard, "Teach them (the commands of God) to your children and to their children after them" (Deuteronomy 4:9). The Apostle Paul commanded parents (specifically fathers) "to bring them (children) up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). The phrase "bring them up" conveys "to rear up to maturity." Notice the content of the teaching Paul emphasizes that best describes what teaching "well" includes; "the training and instruction of the Lord".

The main goal of godly parenting is that their children accept and follow Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, that they live their entire life in a manner that pleases God and fulfills His purpose for their lives.  Now that may include some of the same things the world calls successful but not necessarily. Unless given the gift of singleness parents desire their children find a spiritually compatible spouse, marry and raise another generation for God's glory, being active in Christian service, serving and giving of their resources and living a responsible life expressing faith and dependence upon God.

That to me is what teaching our children "well" means.  (I also expand this to grandchildren and others we may impact for the Lord in various settings.) Have you considered what it means to you?  Are you taking your job seriously?  When life is completed, on this side of glory, that which matters most will be taking up eternal residency with our Lord and bringing our loved ones along with us. What a glorious day that will be!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber