If the Lord brings a wife for me at some point and then gives us children, I would love for us to homeschool them. Here’s why:
The Bible tells us to “teach [God’s commandments] diligently unto thy children”. Homeschooling allows us to carry out everything in this verse as best as we can. Deuteronomy 6:7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
We could provide quality academics. For one example, I would like my children not to be part of the significant percentage of high school graduates who don’t know how to read.
A sign that we noticed “guarding” an AZ school.
We could use Christian-based, educational materials that do not teach evolution and other godless ideologies that usually permeate secular textbooks and instruction. I have a friend who attends public school (in another part of the country) and has told me some of the unbiblical and ungodly things that are being taught in his school.
The home is a sheltered environment that affords protection from worldly influences such as coarse language and potentially undesirable behavior among classmates.
I would have no concerns about my children being bullied as is prevalent on school campuses.
They would be physically safe in our home from mentally deranged individuals preying on groups of defenseless children.
We could guide their behavior. From my observation of child-training, immediate and consistent direction is far better than when it is delayed and inconsistent.
Jesse Maxwell standing in an arch
“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;”
We receive comments on occasion with questions that appear not to be sincere or that might have an agenda. That’s okay. However, we know that you may encounter similar questions from others with a different “world view.” We thought that perhaps if we responded to some of our “naysayer” questions here, it might be a help to you.
Below is a recent blog comment followed by Joseph’s response.
“Since Joseph owns his own home, why can’t he live in it? He doesn’t have a wife and kids to support, so his expenses would be low.”
I (Joseph) always enjoy a small chuckle with myself whenever my dad shares comments like this with our family. The reason is the use of the word “can’t.” “Can’t” indicates that the writer thinks this decision has been made by someone other than me. It hasn’t. Dad and Mom provided solid, Biblical guidance for my life when I was younger, and as I have grown up, they have taught us to think critically with the Bible as our foundation.
There are three main reasons why I chose to continue living at our home after I purchased my own house: financial, accountability, and family. Let me explain.
Financial
While, yes, it is true that living by myself in my house before I am married would be less expensive than it will be when I have my own family, there still would be significant additional expense, such as food and utilities, that I don’t incur while living at home with my parents. It takes little to realize that living with my family is even less expensive than living alone—almost zero. As a result, I can place what I save toward long-term goals, immediate improvements to my house, and giving. I am very grateful for Dad and Mom’s willing and accommodating spirits to let us live in their home without charge as income-earning young adults.
Accountability
When the Lord brings me to begin talking with a young lady’s father about courting his daughter, I will approach that father in total honesty. If I was living by myself, I would have no one to back up my word. In my opinion, if I was living alone and said, “You’ll just have to trust me,” that would lend less credibility than the accountability I have welcomed in our family. Living with my family, and having my parents as my accountability partners, I am very grateful for the ability that I have to provide references to my integrity throughout discussions with a father. I believe Jesus gave a precedent for this when He sent the disciples out two-by-two.
Family
Accountability segues into this one very nicely. I love my family. I love spending time with them. We have a great time together! My family members are my best friends, and life would be rather boring without my best friends around me. If/when the Lord brings along the young lady for me, my family’s “best friend” status will transfer to her and my children. Sadly, many in the world cannot comprehend a family model like this.
For a Scriptural basis for this thinking, I look no further than the first family that God created—Adam, Eve, and eventually their children. Genesis 2:18 says, “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” A very practical secondary application in this verse is that it is not good for me to live alone.
My desire is to live a life pleasing to Jesus and a life that is in obedience to His Holy Bible. I hope this makes it understandable and clear as to why I am choosing to live with my family until I am married.
In Christ, Joseph
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” 1 Peter 3:15
I am writing this post in response to some who have asked in blog comments what I’m doing after high-school graduation and whether I will be going to college. First let me take a moment to share with you what the Lord has done in my heart toward college.
As I seek to draw closer to the Lord, I am always evaluating my decisions based on what the Bible says and also the fruit of a certain decision that I can observe in other people’s lives. In addition, I take heed my parents’ counsel. College would be what most would consider the next big step in my life.
“For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.” (Luke 6:44)
As I thought about college and saw the negative fruit in the lives of many who have gone there, it was obvious to me that there were dangers and pitfalls in college that I would prefer to avoid. Seldom, if ever that I can recall, have I seen a young person go off to college and return exhibiting a higher level of spiritual maturity, or even the same level, at which he entered. Usually he has slid backwards – a lot or a little. It is my desire to stay pure, to wholly follow Him, and to not knowingly put myself in any place where I might fall. We have seen many young people go to college and come out totally different in a negative sense.
“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” (Proverbs 27:12)
Applying this verse to college, I see the dangers at college, and I want to protect myself from them.
“…wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.” (Romans 16:19)
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
In colleges – even Christian colleges – so much of what is being taught is ungodly. It may seem harmless to read something that is unbiblical, thinking that I will just let it slide out of my mind. However it seems to me that in reality this is sowing bad seed with equally bad fruit. I don’t want to learn the things that are being taught in colleges. At home, I can learn what will profit me for my future and what will lead to my spiritual growth.
In our family, we are insatiable learners. Even after high school, we are constantly learning. Graduation is just a way point on the path of learning. We are always eager for new opportunities to grow our knowledge. We look for ways to serve, and many times God stretches us out of our comfort zone, which might involve learning something we would never have thought ourselves capable of learning. So, I may not go to college, but in every step of my life I am continuing to learn.
It also seems kind of silly for me to go to college, because I am so grateful that Mom and Dad saved me from many worldly influences by homeschooling me. Why would I then choose to expose myself to those influences my parents protected me from? We have seen young people who go to college and while in college they fall away from their faith and turn to the world. It is with much pleasure that I can thank Dad and Mom for blessing me with a wonderful education, an excellent teacher, and a pure environment to learn in. I am so blessed to be able to be in a family where they welcome and encourage us to stay at home after we graduate from high school!
All the above are reason enough for me not to want go to college, but I will add that it is my desire, if the Lord wills, to be a stay-at-home wife and mother someday.
“To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” (Titus 2:5)
I don’t feel that a college degree would help me toward this desire. In fact, we have heard from some moms that their degree hindered them, in the beginning, from choosing to be a wife and mother. They went into college with a stay-at-home mindset, but then graduated and started to work. After all, they had invested heavily with their time and finances in a career-specific education and didn’t feel they wanted to waste that investment. In hindsight, they have shared their regrets with this detour from the direction they felt the Lord would have had for their lives.
Another reason why I am not attending college is because of the huge financial cost of college. It seems that it would be a waste of the Lord’s finances for me to go to college when I have no need for a college degree. I certainly wouldn’t want to go into debt for a degree. I have seen one of my sisters and four of my brothers excel in their adult professional lives without a college degree and without debt. I wish to follow in their foot steps.
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8)
The Lord has filled what I have to do with my time so that it is flowing over the brim. I am busy helping with Titus2 order fulfillment plus learning Titus2 bookkeeping and other aspects of our ministry. I’m also helping at home, cleaning for my grandparents, assisting my brother’s family as needed, sewing, doing bookkeeping for Joseph and John’s business, practicing music, tackling other projects that come up, and have a couple of other things right now that I want to study as time allows!
“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16)
All of this to say I am not going to college but staying at home to bless my family and others in whatever way I can, grow spiritually, and learn in areas that will be useful for my future!
In Christ, Anna
John & Anna
“Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7).
The Maxwell family and ministry blog of Titus2.com.
