Back to School and Walking with Christ: Tips for Heading Back to School

It hardly seems like it is the end of summer and time for the kids, teachers, and administrators to head back for another school year. Tears fill the eyes of parents as they watch their kids head to school for the first time or as they go back for a new year (those tears shed being for different reasons). As our feeds are full of first day of school pictures it is not a bad time to step back and reflect on how we can encourage those in our education systems with what it means to be a Christian and a student, teacher, or administrator.

Whether you head off to a public school, Christian school, or over to the kitchen table to homeschool there is a need for Christ to control all of what happens that day. We are reminded by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” As we get ready for a brand new year, the need for Christ to guide us and live for his glory are necessary because we enter into a world that is filled with people who need Christ.

Regardless of what educational system you participate in there are two types of people who are involved in them, Christians and non-Christians. In those systems the Christians need encouragement from other Christians to continue to press on and follow God and the non-Christians need our consistent life and testimony of Christ to show them the way to knowing Him.

Start the Day with God

It may seem fairly obvious to everyone but we must start our day with God. Teachers and administrators you face a long day with many pressure filled circumstances along the way. How many times have started our day off without reading God’s Word only to come to it at the end of the day and discover how it would have helped or informed our day? The simple fact of the matter is we know that getting into God’s Word will only help our days to be better.

For students, they need the same thing. Their days are going to be filled with pressure filled circumstances, of a different kind, and they need help thinking about the way to live for Christ through those moments. Getting them in the Bible will help to shape them for those moments.

This will look different for each kid based on age and start time, but if their parents will help show them how to make it a priority in their life, the student will value it more naturally than being left to figure it out on their own. So take time at the start of the year, even after it has started and talk with your kids about some of the ways that you as a family can start the day with God as you head off to school.

Parents pray for Teachers; Administrators and Teachers Pray for Students

For whatever reason, sometimes we devalue the practice of prayer. Prayer, we know, is the key to spiritual change and revival. One of the most practical things we as parents can model for students is to regularly pray for our teachers by name. We can pray for them in a variety of positive ways that show our kids that we value and respect them. As we pray away from everyone else we show that we really do care for them. A good habit to get into might be to pray for the teachers and staff on the way to school with your kids. If that’s not an option, praying with them before they leave for the day is a great choice as well. Any way that you accomplish this will be beneficial. When you and your kids pray for their teacher(s) it only encourages them to live boldly as they pray for others in their school system.

Teachers and staff, you make an incredible impact on the people around you, especially students. What if we committed to praying for some or all of our students each day by name? What better way for us to expand our care for the students we serve than to regularly ask the Lord to watch over them and give us opportunities to minister and serve them throughout the year.

Celebrate the Good

In our area of the world there is much to celebrate about our schools. They are filled with teachers that care and are invested in seeing the students succeed. One thing that Christians must be willing to do is to point out the good that they see, celebrate it, and value it. When we are blessed by our teachers and staff, Christians should be the loudest supporters because we are undergirded by this truth: All truth is God’s truth.

Our society is so bent towards criticism that people are stunned when someone chooses to focus on something positive that they have done. Things as simple as a note of appreciation and acknowledging the good that we see go a long way to proving that we truly care about the people who are leading our kids.

Parents, Be Actively Engaged

For parents we will need to step up and make sure that we are actively engaged in what is being taught to our kids, regardless of age or grade. Part of the responsibility of parents is to make sure that they filter what kids are getting, especially when they are away from us. This is going to look different for each family and the style of parenting and involvement in education that you can do. At the bare minimum we can be talking to our kids about their days and what they are learning. From there we can read some of what they are reading or look at the work they are doing.

The bottom line is that we can no longer sit on the sidelines of our kid’s education. We need to be actively involved in shepherding their hearts and caring for them as they develop. God has entrusted them to us as a gift and we bear the responsibility of protecting them as they develop.

Conclusion

One thing is clear, there is not one area of our lives where we can take time “off” from engaging and thinking like a Christian and letting that impact our daily lives. This means that we will have to continue to think carefully about what it means to be engaged in the school system in a way that is humble and respectful to those in authority while being committed to Christ above all else.

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