Back to School

Written by Greg Gifford | Associate Pastor of Counseling and Life Groups

Hi Faith Community,

Your other pastors and I (Greg) want to write to you more often, to give you practical shepherding resources that are biblically timeless and timely. We recognize that Sunday morning (for very good reasons) should focus more on exposition and teasing out that exposition is also helpful. From that vein, say “hello” to our “Letter from the Pastors.”

I have two insights for you as you prepare for school to start. First of all, amidst the shopping, sleepiness, and getting everyone back on a schedule, don’t forget that education is about glorifying Christ. In Colossians 1, Paul says “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him” (Emphasis Added). Education is one of those things in verse 16. Forget the methods of education for a second: online, in person, public, private, or home school. 

Zoom out and consider that the purpose of going back to school is to make much of Jesus Christ. He is the One for whom education exists.

Secondarily, Jesus is the source of all “wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3). Jesus is not an addendum to school work, he is the axis of school work. To truly know anything is to know it as Jesus describes to be. So Paul’s warning against “philosophy” in Colossians 2:8 is that you would pit human tradition against the wisdom of Christ (v. 8b). As you yourself are going back to school or you’re equipping your kids of any age to go back, help them focus on the centrality of Christ in the learning process. Our studies should be an act of worship.

How might you do that? Perhaps one of these would be helpful:

  1. Remind yourself/your kids about the goal of education first-and-foremost, which is to glorify Christ.
  2. Encourage your kids to incorporate Bible reading as part of their daily studies and rhythms of studies.
  3. Ask questions about their studies and how it relates to the glory of Christ.
  4. Teach them that all things are an act of worship (Rom. 11:36), thus there is no “secular vs. sacred” divide.
  5. Finally, help them evaluate their success in studies firstly based on glorifying Christ (i.e., cheating to get an A is a massive failure because you didn’t glorify Christ).

In the end, see God’s graciousness for us to learn and be educated. See the August when we go back to school as one of God’s blessings to praise him for. And be proactive with your education so it is a means of glorifying Christ.

Your Servant,