The Purpose of Childhood

As a homeschooling Mom for the last 20 years, I have pondered many questions.

•     What is the purpose of school?
•     What does it look like to be educated?
•     What is success in God’s eyes?

Those are all great questions, but as I am preparing for our next year of homeschooling, I am thinking about another question – maybe even more significant. 

What is God’s purpose for childhood? 

All around me I can see childhood getting consumed with “filling up” and “dumping out - fill up with academics, sports, music instruction – pre-professional this, and competitive that. Dump out with exams and tests, tournaments and recitals.

Not necessarily wrong, but are we missing a more significant purpose for childhood?

Looking to Scripture I have found a few Scriptures that give me a clearer picture of God’s true motive for the time period of childhood.

•     Drive out folly.
•    Learn Scripture
•   Grow in Wisdom that leads to Salvation     
• Training in Godliness

Proverbs 22 says that folly is in the heart of a child and that through discipline this folly can be removed. 2 Tim states that by learning the Holy Scriptures from infancy Timothy became wise for salvation! Proverbs 22 also declares to parents to train up their children in the way they should go. 

These are the priority purposes of childhood.

As I re-evaluate our focus, time allotment and energy for this next "school" year, I shall endeavor to keep this in mind and not get caught up in what might be "good" at the expense of what is "best."

1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.