Beginning Premises:
1. There is no perfect place this side of Heaven. The whole world and everything in it is tainted by sin.
2. Many times, a child will resist many things that are good for him. The will of a child is no different than anyone else - natural man resists God's will.
3. We will all fail at times as parents. Anger, frustration, greed, and selfishness will
sometimes cause us to do things and make decisions that are easy instead of those that are right. Discernment is the ability to know what is right - but it is worthless if we selfishly choose the wrong. Though it might be hard, we must do what is RIGHT, encourage each other to stay on that path, and gently remind each other when we are straying.
4. In most cases - except where we are given clear instruction from scripture - we cannot know with absolute certainty what is right. So we must look at all the facts before us and make the best decisions we can based on the facts at hand, what scripture says, and after prayerful consideration. The Lord never expects perfection, but He does expect us to make decisions with discernment, that is, with a conscience convinced that we have done what is right.
5. Your child, ultimately, is his or her own person. We can make decisions, but the success he/she does or doesn’t have will to a great degree depend on their efforts and God’s grace. The right attitude can bring success in miserable circumstances. The wrong attitude will bring failure in an ideal setting. As parents, we make decisions regarding what is the best and most God-fearing place for our child. We can encourage, set goals, and reward appropriate outcomes. However, we can not turn a heart to take advantage of a certain setting. Only God can do that. If we have raised our children to be well-rounded God-fearing individuals, we have done our duty to the Lord, whether they, as adults, remain faithful to that training or not. We are born in sin, and while parents are responsible for their children’s training, they can not bear responsibility for the heart that chooses the wrong path.
Make the right decision for your child. Visit those schools you are considering, ask questions, and finally, pray for guidance and discernment. Use the sheet on the following page to help you judge each school visited, and trust that the Lord is guiding your steps to the place He knows is best for your child.
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