"Don't Teach Them Anything"

 

Kindergarten and first grade were bewildering to me. It seemed all the other kids knew what the teacher was talking about, and I didn’t. I didn’t know the vocabulary. Why did they? Or did they? In addition, I didn’t know anyone outside my own family. My parents had four babies in four years and said it was “too much trouble” to take us to church when we were young.

Four decades later, my mother told me the school had told the parents, “Don’t teach them anything; we will teach them everything.” My parents cooperated. Unfortunately, the advice was predicated on the assumptions that there was a body of information to be distributed, the school would assume that task, and we would be “educated,” as long as the parents did not interfere, none of which was entirely true. It was terrible advice.

 Early in our marriage, we were traveling and came upon a young family in distress, financial and emotional, on the side of the interstate. We bought them a tank of gas and had a restaurant meal with them. During the conversation, the husband told us he was a Christian and related his joy at discovering Christ as a young adult. The couple had a tiny baby girl, only a few months old. The dad explained his plan never to tell his daughter about Christ while she was young, so she would be old enough to understand and experience the same joy he had, when she finally heard the gospel. We were horrified at the plan and gently tried to encourage him otherwise. We have no idea how that turned out.

We all know the Scriptures instructing us to teach children day and night, train them, bring them up in the knowledge of the Lord. In addition, the Bible tells believers to instruct, teach, and encourage other adults. King Solomon even asked God Himself to teach His people the right way to live. Teaching each other, adults as well as children, is God’s work, and it is commanded. Each of us knows or understands things another needs to know. Sisters, I guarantee that you know things about which I’m completely ignorant – just as I was in kindergarten.

 Mommies, for whom it seems “too much trouble” – speak truth and teach on! Teachers of children, friends of adults, speak truth and teach on!

 We see every day in our church examples of women (and men) informing and encouraging others with classes, conversations, recommendations, examples of Christlike behavior, teaching, sharing, living. Thank you; keep up the good work!

 --Lynda Shenefield