A Student’s View of Christian Education
A Student’s View of Christian Education
by Anna Mercer, a student in the class of 2017. This is her essay about why she wants to attend GCA for her high school education. This essay is a requirement for all GCA 8th Graders who wish to attend GCA in high school.
Pieter Stok has explained the purpose of Christian education in this way: “Healthy Christian Education develops critical thinking by having the courage to explore other world views from the perspective of its own worldview…Students are recognized for who they are: sinners in need of God’s grace in Christ.”1 These words perfectly describe a Christian education. Sadly, we live in an extremely perverted world. What used to be viewed as despicable is now considered a norm. People claim neutrality but are quick to anger when you voice an opinion that challenges their own. We are experiencing a spiritual drought in America, and it is possibly due to the way that God has been taken out of the public school system.
In the 1960’s, when America’s journey away from God began, most unreligious teachers still taught with morals similar to those of the Christian faith. But now, evolution and atheism dominate the minds of teachers, which is then presented as truth to impressionable young students. It seems that as a nation, we have forgotten the miraculous God that helped us break away from Great Britain and have spiritual freedom in America. We have forgotten the God that helped the early church survive persecution. We have forgotten the God that sent His only Son to save our worthless souls from eternal torment in hell. A God, who provides more blessings for us than we can even count, does not deserve to be forgotten. He deserves everything we can give Him and more. A true, God-honoring education shows us how to devote our lives to His will and lets Him control our education as well as the rest of our lives.
In addition to allowing us to devote our lives to God, Christian education trains us to discern the things of the flesh from the things of God. Romans 12:2 says this: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (ESV) By being constantly surrounded by thoughts of God at school, we can more easily recognize foreign, sinful ideas. A Christian education provides a way for us to see these “good and acceptable and perfect” things, as well as recognize God’s will in all our decisions.
Lastly, a solid upbringing in Christ provides a route for applying what we have learned to our everyday walk with God. A good student learns his book knowledge, but a great student will apply the knowledge to his life. At a public school, the students can learn and have a private life with God, but at a Christian school we have the privilege to live the way God teaches us. We learn essential subjects like math, history, and science from a Christian viewpoint. We are personally equipped to walk a daily walk with our Lord as well as aim our whole life towards Him. While learning, we see the massive faults of mankind. This makes us appreciate the love and mercy of God even more. Who are we that God would want to actively pursue a relationship with us?
In conclusion, a Christian education is an indispensable aid to our faith. Through it, we can devote our lives to God, distinguish good from evil, and apply learned lessons to our everyday Christian walk. We are blessed by God with an opportunity to learn about Him in all aspects of life; we need these lessons to protect our constantly-bombarded faith. Our God is a merciful heavenly being, and we can better further our knowledge of Him by following His will for our education.
1 Stok, Pieter, “15 Reasons Why Christian Education is Important.” Travels from Ur. http://pieterstok.com/2011/09/22/14-reasons-why-christian-education-is-important/ September 22, 2011.
