To the Finish
Posted in Daily Focus on Thursday, April 17, 2014
The end of the school year was getting closer. The calendar wasn't the only source that revealed that fact. The quality of my children's schoolwork was also an indicator. With the finish line in sight and carefree summer days just ahead, my children rushed through their lessons. Poorly written compositions, half-answered history questions, and math papers with high percentages of incorrect answers confirmed that spring fever had hit our homeschool. I needed to find something to motivate my children to finish the school year working to the best of their abilities.
Christians can also suffer from a time of spring fever. Being tempted to compromise God's standards of holiness, we halfheartedly obey and slack off when it comes to maintaining the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study. Living the Christian life in our own strength, we fail to see our vulnerability and fall prey to Satan's temptations. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). To run in the heavenly race in which God has placed us, we must run with self-control and discipline. To finish the race, we must buffet our bodies and run in such a way as to receive the prize — a crown incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25).
What about you? Your children are looking to you as an example of how to finish this year's homeschooling race. If spring fever is tempting you to be lazy and lax in disciplining your day's schedule, you can't expect your children to be much different. Pray and ask God to replace your lost motivation with a new fervor to finish the homeschooling task He has given you. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Lord, thank You for the joys of homeschooling my children. Please, help me to maintain our focus to accomplish Your best for this year and give me the strength to finish strong. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Comments(4 comments)
DOMINGO F 04/18/2011 06:23:58
This is an excellent article!!! We currently aren\'t homeschooling, but are starting in the Fall and I can see where this one be an issue. I\'m going to print it out and save it. Thank you so much!!!
MIA M 04/17/2012 02:06:30
Amen
KATHY S 04/17/2012 09:01:27
This devotional is so true. \"spring fever\" can throw off the schedule.
I guess we must keep in prayer for strength and preserverance.
We are a bit behind in our math.Not because we have been lazy, but my health has been an interuption for weeks now.
I guess the encouraging thing is, being we homeschool, we are not on a \"deadline\" so to speak. If we run into June with our Math, we can still complete it as we are not on anyones schedule but our own. Which makes me feel better.
I love Homeschool ! In every way. The fact that I get to spend all my time with my son. He is not in fear of getting a bad grade, he knows we just re do our work that isn\'t perfect. He is safe, happy, and content.
God is so good! Thank you Jesus that we have the freedom to gomeschool our children and cater to their every need !
Amen.
KATHY SPIELER 04/17/2013 14:05:55
Dear AOP,
I have left so many messages for you and received no response. First is The Author not well? These have all been repeats, some have comments dated 2 years ago. If she is, I will pray for her. If she isn't and if you have decided to stop printing new ones, I would like to know so I can look for another HS website. I miss the interaction with the other Moms. No One writes anything, rates anything, it's all just repeats. Also, I have left messages here and in your message center regarding how to graduate my 8th grader and we have a problem with our SOS. I have never gotten a response from anyone, about any of my concerns. PLEASE email, call, write, whatever is possible at this point. You have all my info. Thanks so much.