Keeping Christ the First Priority During the School Year
Growing up, I was homeschooled. From Kindergarten through my senior year of high school, my mom taught all of my subjects. I was so used to having all my schoolwork done by lunchtime that I was shocked by how much work was required of me in college.
With my busy schedule, it would have been so easy to set my Bible on the bottom of my pile of textbooks and to sleep in on Sunday mornings. Instead, I fought the urge to become lazy in my relationship with God and sought to keep Christ the first priority during the school year.
As a parent, I know your days are full of long drop-off and pick-up lines, stressful work days, and plenty of sports and other extracurricular activities to drive the kids to. Your days can be exhausting and it can feel easier to make other things in life a priority over the Lord.
But let me tell you, keeping Christ the first priority in your family’s life during the school year is so important.
Teaching your children to keep Christ the top priority in their life when they are young will help them to do so into adulthood. The Bible says that when we “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, ESV).
I believe that my parent’s teaching on how to keep God the most important thing in my life when I was young is the reason I was able to do so in college.
But how is my family supposed to prioritize Christ when our schedules are so busy?
One simple way is to prioritize going to church on Sunday morning. The Bible says that we should not neglect to meet together as a body of believers (Hebrews 10:24-25). The church is where we are sharpened (Proverbs 27:17), where we are encouraged (1 Thessalonians 5:11), and where we bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2).
Many parents allow their families to sleep in on Sunday mornings and skip church because they are so tired from the week’s activities.
Others allow their children to play sports that interfere with Sunday morning service. These actions prioritize sleep and sports over Christ.
Correcting this is simple: go to bed as early as possible (or take a big family nap after church) and enroll your child in sports that meet in the evenings or on Saturday mornings.
Another way to prioritize Christ in the school year is to pray with your kids before you leave for school. Pray for their interactions with others to be kind and loving. Pray for them to be protected physically and mentally.
Pray for them to have a fun day. Pray for them to pay attention as they learn and to be respectful to their teachers. And most importantly, pray that they shine a light for Jesus in their school.
By taking intentional time to pray with your children, you are taking time to acknowledge that Christ is the most important thing in their lives that they should seek to glorify Him in everything they do.
Lastly, you can prioritize Christ in this busy school year by not neglecting your own personal time alone with the Lord. God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). When life gets busy and we become stressed, it is our time with God that keeps our eyes on Him.
It is in Him that we find ultimate rest and comfort. Spending daily time studying Scripture and praying before you get caught up in the busyness of your day is a wonderful way to prioritize Christ.
Not only should you spend time in prayer and in God’s Word every day, but you should let your kids see you doing it. When they see you prioritizing your relationship with Christ, they will want to do the same.
Keeping Christ the first priority during the school year is so important for your family’s spiritual growth. Jesus said to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33, ESV), and doing so does not have to be complicated or burdensome. It can be simple and fun!
Keep Christ the first priority during the school year and see how the Lord will work in your and your children’s hearts.
