Standing Firm When the Nay-Sayers Get Loud…

Do you have people in your life that are “nay-sayers” about the choice you made to homeschool your kids? They are happy to share their opinions about what they think your kids are missing out on, are they going to be socialized enough, how will they survive in the world being so sheltered, tell you that you aren’t educated enough to be their teacher, and on and on…

It can bring up fears and insecurities in you as a parent, like, am I enough? Can I actually do this? What if I let my kids down or fail them in their education?

The root of this is fear of man — defined as the sin of revering, obeying, pleasing, or dreading human beings more than God. It is a form of idolatry or people-pleasing where a person's identity, security, and decisions are controlled by what others think or do rather than by God's truth.

One of my quiet-time devotionals this week was about obedience, and fear of man. I’m going to share it here for you:

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“His Prescription for Obedience”Isaiah 51:12-16

Our actions are often guided by other people more than they are guided by God’s Holy Spirit. What a travesty of the divine plan! The One who created us, who has bought us back, who sustains us daily, is the One we push to the back burner in order to please the fickle opinions of transient minds. How can we break out of this fear of man?

We can escape only by an intentional, emphatic focus on who our God is. We must rehearse His Word and His past mercies in our minds. We must train our hearts to care first and foremost for Him. We must understand the relative lack of power of people compared to the almighty Lord of hosts. We must remember that He holds heaven and earth, time and eternity, welfare and calamity, and the keys to every human heart in His hand. There is no one else we try to impress who wields such power. Not even close.

God’s prescription for our obedience is to let Him fill our minds. But we so often fail at this. We’re worried about others laughing at us, criticizing us, looking down on us, and shutting us out of their circles. Instead, we should be preoccupied with the awesome prestige of our God: He alone can comfort us (v. 12), He made us (v. 13), He stretched out the vast expanse of the heavens and laid the firm foundations of the earth (v. 13), He runs the currents of the oceans (v. 15), and He established a people for Himself (v. 16). Who else would guide our paths?

It’s a delusion of fallen sinners that causes us to place more value on human opinion than on God. And we’re hypocrites about it: We stress our independence and freedom, yet enslave ourselves to public opinion and the shifting sands of culture. God calls His servants to be released from captivity. The spirit that is full of Him will not be so deluded. His opinion alone matters, and it is liberating. Stand firm on His truth, never be moved, and let fear be far from your heart.

“It’s only the fear of God that can deliver us from the fear of man.”~John Witherspoon

(The One Year Walk with God Devotional by Chris Tiegreen)

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I hope you feel encouraged to trust the Lord’s calling on you, and remember that you don’t need to prove yourself (or your family’s decision to homeschool) to anyone. The only opinion that truly matters is God’s! God-honoring things you could respond to nay-sayers with are: “I love spending time with my kids, and God blessed me with this opportunity!”, or “I love getting to know my kids like I do, and getting to customize their education to their individual needs!", or “We enjoy the freedom with our schedule to be able to include all sorts of fun activities my kids want to be involved in!”

It’s not an easy journey by any means, but it’s worth it, friends. If God calls you to it, He will guide you through it. Trust in the Lord - He will equip you! Surrounding yourself with Jesus-loving people who also homeschool is a wonderful way to have support along the journey. We have Co-Ops and Microschools all over the United States using our curriculum - see if a group is located near you.