As I’m known to reiterate, the philosophy is the principle thing for Lifestyle Education through Discipleship™ – the big picture, the wisdom of it. The methodology is the key to Freedom & Simplicity™, taking the philosophy from theory to application. It is applied to the content through Wisdom’s 7 Pillars.
But I hope none are looking to Wisdom’s 7 Pillars as a “curriculum” of what needs to be learned, at what depth, at what stage to be a “complete” education. The 7 Pillars are only a categorizing of topics of study from within God’s vast possibilities for learning. They are just a framework to help us structure and organize our learning. Recently I have been excited to see how closely most of them line up with the divisions of the Bible. But that’s another topic for another day.
Within, or without, the Pillars you are free to apply the philosophy and methodology to the Pillars as light or as deep as you desire. This is where I firmly believe that family discipleship and legacy fits in. God has given you your children because He desires for you to teach and train them in things He has put in you!
Perhaps you will only teach foundational principles and then skim science. But you will forge the depths of history. Perhaps you will accent music, or art, or Bible doctrine, or government. Perhaps writing is your forte, or speaking. Perhaps studying the precision of creation through mathematical equations.
Where is God calling you? Search the scriptures. Notice how God calls families into His purposes. Perhaps He’s wanting to start something in you that He desires to bring to fruition through your children. Don’t be afraid to focus on your strong points, to pass onto your children what God has worked in you.
World changers have never been the people with the average, “required” status quo education. They have always (I probably shouldn’t use such ‘extreme’ terms) been those a little different, who excelled in their calling, but many times were considered “inadequate” (at least in their early years) because they didn’t have a “well rounded” edcuation, and were “sub-standard” in many areas.
I believe that we all need to see God’s principles and purposes for all the Pillars, but thorough delving deeply into each may not be God’s unique calling for our individual families. We need to walk in the freedom and individuality He has for our unique family to focus on the area(s) He desires for us. We need to focus on His focus for our family.
As R.C. Sproul Jr. puts it, there are only 3 things absolutely necessary. They are the core curriculum, required for all families. He calls them the Three G’s. They are: Who is God? What has God done? What does God require of me? Beyond that is up to God’s grace in your own family. We need not all study the same things, but we must all study something. We all need knowledge and skills in some area to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.
Go to God and ask Him, what is His call and emphasis for your family. It’s probably a natural for you though. He put it in you! He has given you freedom to walk in who He has made you. Don’t question nor regret what He has made you. Don’t question or regret what you are or are not able to give your children. Study to show yourself approved. Give your children Jesus and His Word – the Three G’s. Lead them in the wisdom of thinking Biblically about all of Life and Learning. Then focus on what He has put in you, so your children can follow you as you follow Christ.
That’s all that He asks of us. How could anyone else ask anything more? If they do, it only puts bondage on us that is not of God. Live in God’s design, which may be heavily weighted, not balanced as the world sees it. But your “weighted” education will be one full of grace that gives you “good success”, fruitfulness and fulfillment as your family walks in His design for their lives.
