Have you ever thought about giving up on homeschooling?
I have thought about quitting, but a wise pastor once told me that a decision to quit should never be made when I was tired, frustrated, or discouraged. He used examples from Nehemiah to make his point. Scripture tells us that the people of Judah, mustered by Nehemiah to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, were saying, “The strength of the laborers is giving out and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” (Nehemiah 4:10) They were discouraged and afraid because of the load of work, the rubble, and what their enemies were saying.
We are no different than the laborers. When we are tired, afraid, and have too much rubble in our lives, we want to give up, too. But that’s never the time to quit!
We need to follow Nehemiah’s example. He stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. That’s what we need to do for our brothers and sisters that are buckling under the load of fear and discouragement: take up our weapons, cover their backs, and be ready to fight for them. Read Ephesians 6:10-19 and also II Corinthians 10:3-5 to learn how to fight and the weapons to use. Nehemiah said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14) We all have a lot at stake. Trust God as Nehemiah did and walk faithfully before Him. We don’t walk this road alone. Remember the Source of your strength and give Him all the glory. Make plans to come to the convention to be encouraged or to encourage others to Start, Stay, and Finish Strong in homeschooling.
~ Lorna Shaw