As a school administrator, I frequently get to hear stories from parents about the difficulties of raising children in this fallen world. It’s easy for parents to get sucked into the news cycle that highlights the depravity of our society or to feel overwhelmed when we see the brokenness of sin firsthand in our own families and communities.
Ephesians 5 has wisdom for us on how live in these kinds of circumstances: “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil...”
How is it that we can make the best use of our time in these circumstances? The chapter goes on:
“…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Are you depressed about the direction the world is going?
Sing psalms.
Are you weary of constant battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil?
Give thanks.
These two practices—singing and giving thanks—are important manifestations of being filled with the Spirit. And as we bring our children up in the paideia of the Lord, we cannot just be concerned with forming their intellects in wisdom. We must also be concerned with forming their spiritual practices so that their mouths show forth God’s praise.
Our hymn of the month for January has been a wonderful opportunity to practice thanksgiving in song. “What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul? What wondrous love is this, O my soul? What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul? To bear the dreadful curse for my soul?” The lyrics and the haunting Southern harmony of this song blend together in a beautiful meditation on Jesus’ sacrifice for us.
This practice of singing and giving thanks is one of the most important things we do at Paideia.
If an elementary student never has anything to offer for end-of-day “thankfuls” and daily tries to mumble his way out of singing the hymn of the month, that should be of more concern to a parent than “struggles with long division.” If a secondary student will pull an all-nighter to prep for a physics test but sees no reason to sing to the Lord with his heart, then that student has missed the boat on what we are doing at Paideia.
Hopefully, the practice of singing and giving thanks that we do at school is a reinforcement of the thankful expressions of praise already being poured out within our homes and at our churches. Hopefully, this grateful song will permeate the lives of our students long after the days of doing math drills are over.
Why are we here? To glorify God and enjoy him forever.
As the song says: “To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing. To God and to the Lamb, I will sing. To God and to the Lamb, Who is the great I AM, while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing. While millions join the theme, I will sing!”
