Terms like “biblical integration” and “biblical worldview” are commonly heard these days in the world of Christian education, as they should be. We need daily reminders that the word of God must be at the center of our purpose and practice. It is the word of God that contains the stories, principles, and power that is needed to see future generations live life and impact the culture through their knowledge and love for their Creator. It is only when Scripture is the foundation for life in a Pre-K-12th grade Christian school, that young people have their hearts and heads informed and transformed to accomplish all that God has created them to be.
Luckily, there are some godly and intelligent people over the years that have created templates and presentations that help make biblical integration into each unit, lesson, and activity more of a reality. I have benefited greatly from the encouragement and tools provided by others in this area, over the years.
As great as some tools and the expertise of others can be, in all actuality, it still comes down to the living curriculum in the classroom to make the connections between the subject and the truth of God’s word. To that end, I would offer up a few realities that must be true of those we place in front of students:
Fear the Lord
I have touched on this before, so I won’t belabor the point, but if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of true wisdom then we must be sure that we fear the Lord. When we say “fear the Lord”, this has to be more than a head knowledge or church attendance over the years. Remember that James told believers that “the demons believe and shudder.” The fear of the Lord leads to saving faith, which leads to a total surrender of our lives in submission and commitment to Christ.
Meditate on God’s Word
Those that fear the Lord will be driven to consume His word as they desire to become more like Christ. The Lord told Joshua that “the book of the law should not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it…making your way prosperous.” David says in Psalm 1, that when we meditate on God’s word day and night, we will be firmly planted and bear fruit.
Pray Continually
I am always reminded of James 5:16, which says, “the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” However, it is in the next verse that we are reminded that God accomplished much through Elijah, who was a man with a “nature like ours”. The key is, God can still do a great work through us when we fear Him, are soaking up His word, and therefore have right thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that line up with the purpose and plan of God.
Speak the Truth
Sometimes the easiest thing to do can be the hardest thing to do in the man-pleasing world we live in. In Acts 4, we see that Peter and John spoke the truth with boldness, so much that the people around them “were amazed and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” Peter and John then went on to, with the threat of physical pain and torture, proclaim the truth with boldness, saying “we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Can you imagine what God would do in our schools when we fear Him, are drinking from the fountain of His word, praying for opportunities to speak truth and see Him work, and then speaking the truth of God’s word because we were compelled to speak and live the truth. That, my friends, is when the truth of God’s word will come to life in our classrooms, ball field, and every aspect of our school!
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