Keeping the Most Important Thing, THE MOST IMPORTANT Thing

I still remember the day many years ago when I was kept late after school for turning in an incredibly terrible book report. It wasn’t that the book was bad or that I didn’t know how to write. I even enjoyed the book. Instead, I’d chosen to do an awful job writing about an underground Bible smuggler because I didn’t like how he’d handled a trivial issue mentioned on the last page. After my English teacher, “Mr. H”, asked enough questions to know I’d actually read the book, he waded through excuses until he discovered the problem. Then, he explained that I’d kept myself from learning anything because I’d focused on the trivial, rather than keeping the most important thing, the most important thing.

Sounds basic, doesn’t it? Yet from long experience, I think we all often miss what is most important because we are focused on the endless details of our lives without always considering how to keep the most important thing, the most important thing. We deal with jobs, bills, spouses, children, grumpy neighbors, cooking, laundry, mowing, church responsibilities, taxes, and how to prevent family arguments – including between the kids about who was supposed to do a certain chore.  Those are all important things we can’t forget about, right?  I mean who wants to be the one who lets someone out of the house minus some vital article of clothing or with the remnants of a PB&J sandwich or a spare donut glued to their face or clothes? (My wife and daughters have a terrible time trying to help me look presentable when I’m let loose on the world.)

Most tasks in our school day seem necessary, but have we made the temporary and the subjective more important than the purpose? I mean, why do we want our children to learn – “For the sake of learning itself,” “Getting a good job,” “Taking care of their family,” or “Being a valuable member of society”? All important things, just not the most important thing.

God is not biting his nails about whether our child earned a B rather than an A+, but rather did they learn character by not cheating somehow to get the better grade. He’s not worried that your child still misspells the words “You’re” or “Their”, but misses the point of doing all things well. I also know that your children will gain an even greater education if they hear and learn to emulate your, “I love you, and let’s figure this out” than fearing your anger when they struggle with Algebra or Trigonometry.  In fact, I’m pretty sure God cares more that they read His book and understand He wants a relationship with them rather than that they can just rattle through the Table of Elements like a champ. (I’ve never had the problem of rattling them off, myself.  Especially since I couldn’t ever seem to memorize them.)

Now I’m not advocating for you to sluff off your daily responsibilities or your children’s education. As always, I humbly ask that you understand the principle of what I’m saying and not get lost in the details as I once did. Providing your children with a good education is important for their future success. Pursue it with gusto and determination.  Just keep it in perspective and don’t lose sight of the actual goal.

Maybe this is best shown through an analogy. Personally, I spent a long career obsessed with everything my education and ability could gain for me. For years, my office walls were lined with an impressive library, degrees, awards, pictures of me and “important” people, and “cool” memorabilia from around the world. I’d placed them on marble pedestals and polished them daily until they ruled my life like mute and pagan idols rather than the servants they were created to be. I was a perfect example of when the Scriptures say, “. . . for they worship the creation rather than the creator.” Because I focused on the secondary rather than the ultimate purpose I should have been pursuing, I came dangerously close to permanently failing life’s test. Only this time it was my well-educated and hardworking children, not just a school book report that I risked. It’s only by God’s grace that I learned this lesson before it was too late.

I still remember learning that a few generations ago, the old one-room schoolhouse Primers didn’t just teach the ABCs or how to write empty sentences about the newest cultural fad. Instead, they taught the principles related to God, family, country, and the development of personal character as children recited lessons such as:

A – In Adam’s fall, we sinned All.

B – Thy life to mend, this Book attend.

https://www.homeschool.com/blog/2023/01/keeping-the-most-important-thing-the-most-important-thing/