Christian Web Site      
Powered by
Google

Search WWW Search surfinthespirit.com
 
  To Whom is Your Home School YokedMonday, October 14th, 2024  
by Barbara Smith

To whom is your homeschool yoked? Today, a sun-bleached yoke on a wall or mantle is a distinctive reminder of America's trek West. It is a conversation piece, an obsolete reminder of days long past. It evokes stories of our great-great grandmothers who yoked themselves to the plow and pulled massive loads rather then lose a crop when the oxen died.

In the Bible a yoke was a familiar tool and its basic design has remained the same throughout centuries. It was a harness, usually wooden, which connected a pair of animals to a plow and held them in place. The animals were usually oxen, and a "yoke of oxen" was a pair of animals whom they matched to work efficiently. An older, more experienced animal led a younger animal, and yoking the lead animal to the younger animal required skill. An unmanageable older animal could literally work a younger animal to death.

By the New Testament times, the meaning of the word also meant becoming a pupil of a teacher. Thus, Jesus' gentle invitation to his disciples would have had a specific meaning: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30) That is, to become His pupil would have an entirely opposite effect than that of becoming a pupil of one of the great rabbis. (Matthew 23: 1-32 )

Today, enthusiastic homeschool parents yoke themselves to ambitious home education programs rather then lose our children to a lackluster education system. While a sturdy yoke may very well describe a strategy for fruitful home education, its image may be the key to why we fail to produce the home school harvest we want.

Who walks beside you? To whom are is your homeschool yoked? A Bible teacher pointed out a truth: If I am exhausted and stressed beyond a moment more's endurance, I am not yoked to Jesus Christ. I grow weary often because I was unwilling to be led by my Lord and unwilling to lean on Him. Yoking myself to Christ means hard work. I will grow weary, but no wearier than He did. Christ alone knows my limits and He promises to give me no more than I can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13)

He isn't inviting the fresh, strong or vigorous; but He bids those come who are spent, troubled and defeated. He has designed His yoke as easy and His burden as light. He offers spiritual refreshment for his disciples to persevere. Yoking myself to Jesus means I will learn about Jesus. I will learn gentleness and humility - and my soul will be at rest - although I may work harder than I have ever worked in my life. Jesus offers a gracious invitation to "Come" to His battle-weary disciples, instead of a pretentious demand to "Pass under!" He beckons, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:29-30)

© Barbara W. Smith 1998, all rights reserved. http://www.chfweb.com




Site copyright© 2002-2024, Surf-in-the-Spirit. All rights reserved.

  Christian Education Navigation

    About Christian Schools?
    About Public Schools
    About Homeschooling
    How Children Learn
    Ten Reasons
    Homeschool Personality
    Paul's Ephesian Prescription
    Inevitably
    To Whom
    Doesn't Turn Out
    Back To Fundamentals!
    Excuses Not To Homeschool
    Public School Myths



What Is Homeschooling?
Hiring A Christian Educator
Homeschool Veteran
Unschooling Our Faith
Need For Christian Education
Homeschool Boot Camp
Back To School List
The Ministry Of Education
Helping Your Child Succeed
Helping Your Child Succeed - 1
Helping Your Child Succeed - 2
Helping Your Child Succeed - 3


Helping Your Child Succeed - 4
Helping Your Child Succeed - 5
Helping Your Child Succeed - 6
Helping Your Child Succeed - 7
Helping Your Child Succeed - 8
Learning Activities
Homework: Foreword
Homework: A Concern
Homework: The Basics
Homework: Important
Homework: Monitor Assignments
Homework: Provide Guidance



Homework: Resolve Problems
Homework: Resources
Homework: Checklist
National Education Goals
Is Homework Important?
Be Involved
This Is Education?
Computers and Education
School Choice
Public Schools Harm
Homeschool Periodicals
Homeschool Books
Homeschool Electronic Sources

  Choose A Topic

    Advice For Christians
    Read The Bible Online
    Work And Business
    Christian Charity
    Church Life

Christian Education
Entertainment
Your Environment
Your Finances
Healthy Living

Christian Home
Christian Music
Parenting
Spirituality
You And The Web

Christian Art And Literature
Just For Teens
Just For Kids
Family Fun
Debt Relief
Christian Webmasters

  Other Resources Section


               © 1999-2024 SurfintheSpirit.com  All rights reserved.