I once met a homeschooling mama who was about 40 years old. She had taken good care of her health and exercised regularly. However, a few months before she had been in the middle of an ugly conflict in a volunteer organization. When I met this mama, she was recovering from a heart attack. She told me that a person involved in her medical care told her that he believed that stress was the cause of her heart attack.
During days with so much fear, I’m reminded of this verse from Psalm 56:
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
Psalm 56:3 NASB
Praise God that He is trustworthy when we are afraid. Homeschooling mamas can depend on Him and we can train our children to depend on Him.
I know that many of you — maybe most of you — maybe all of you feel like Moses and Gideon who doubted their own ability to do what God wanted them to do.
When God told Moses that He was going to send him to Pharaoh so that he could bring the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses said, “Who am I . . . .?” and “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say?”
When God called Gideon to lead the Israelites during the time of the Judges, Gideon asked, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
“Something is wrong with me.”
Gideon doubted his ability because he was the youngest in the family. In other words he believed he was in a position of being inferior. Perhaps feelings of inferiority have made homeschooling your children difficult for you.
“Something is wrong with my family.”
Gideon saw his family as insignificant because it was small. A mama might see her family as insignificant for many reasons. Maybe her family’s standard of living is low in comparison to people she knows. Maybe her husband’s occupation isn’t one that receives much respect. Maybe she grew up in a broken home and fears that she doesn’t know what it takes to build a godly family.
“Something is wrong with my relationship with my child.”
Moses asked God: “What if they will not . . . listen to what I say?” I’ve certainly heard that one. It goes like this: “I could never homeschool. My children would never listen to me.” A mama who has made the decision to homeschool has gotten far enough past that one to decide to give homeschooling a try, but she may still doubt whether her child will respect her enough to listen.
We all have doubts. Sometimes we are humble enough to admit them. Moses’ and Gideon’s problems were in where they placed their trust.
Moses and Gideon felt incapable to do what God called them to do. They were right. They were incapable to do that, but God had a solution.
Their problem was that they were looking at their own capabilities to determine whether they could do what God wanted them to do. What they failed to believe was that God was their strength and that He would provide what they needed when they needed it.
He did that for Moses and Gideon. He will do it for you, too — even if it is beyond what you could ask or imagine.
And He said, “Certainly I will be with you . . . . “
Exodus 3:12 NASB
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 NASB
Even homeschool successfully.
And when you are feeling a little challenged by others who don’t respect your homeschooling choices, remember:
Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
