Speaker's Notes: Polonia Herrera - Educating with Excellence - October 12, 2012

Speaker: Polonia H.—Educating with Excellence

October 12, 2012

Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines education as:

“The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.”

We begin educating as soon as we bring our baby home from the hospital.  Homeschooling is a ministry that God put in our hearts. 

Noah Webster’s dictionary defines excellence as, “The quality of being excellent; state of possessing good qualities in an eminent degree; exalted merit; superiority in virtue.”

Whatever you do around your home, do with excellence. Excellence is something attainable. It is not perfection. Excellence is an attitude, a direction.

1.       We pursue excellence because the Lord commands it.  God has loaned us these children. They are a blessing and a heritage from the Lord. Our children belong to the Lord, and we only have them for a little while. It is an immense responsibility. Always remember, you are training a man or a woman. The responsibility is immense but not impossible. We have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Some people think that education is math, reading, and writing. This is not true; we teach and train our children in every area. Education includes growing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. The work the Lord has given us should be done with excellence and joy. Biblical excellence is doing your best with what God has given you. Whatever amount of work God has given you, you can handle it. The parable of the talents is a tragedy of wasted opportunity. All who are faithful will be fruitful to some degree. Take advantage of the time you have. Impact their lives for the kingdom. Our commitment is to the Lord and not our children. Our commitment is to the glory of God (2 Corinthians 8:7).

2.       We pursue excellence because the nature of the assignment requires it. We are training a man or woman for the future. To educate with excellence means you do not grow weary. It requires your devotion, requires effort, requires money and requires consistency. Study your children and see how they function. Sit down and plan your day. Be intentional and purposeful. Be persistent until the task is done. Educating with excellence requires a heart totally devoted to the Lord. Do what you do for the Lord; otherwise, you are wasting your time. Your children will catch more from what you do than what you say.  The reward in the parable of the talents is based upon faithfulness not on results.

3.       We pursue excellence because the daily task requires it. The day in and day out can be taxing. It requires us to give our children a strong foundation. We need to teach them the basics: memorizing math facts, diagramming sentences, reading well, and writing well. Be a detective of your children. Know what they like. The early years are the foundation for all future learning. If you are homeschooling, do it with all your might. Teach them diligently; it requires maximum effort. Your labor is not in vain.