Now here is a convicting question: Do you know why and what we celebrate on this day, July 4th?
A few years back I was convicted that even though I had graduated with high marks in school, I didn’t remember or know the truth about our founding fathers. No wonder our country is so divided! As a child and youth, I didn’t have an understanding of WHY there was value in truly learning about our nation’s history or any history for that matter.
Social Studies and Government classes were just subjects in school, a bunch of details of old dead people, that we had to memorize and regurgitate to get a good grade on our report card.
Do your kids think of education or studying history this way?
Maybe they don’t even know that they view it this way? It could be subconscious. I didn’t realize how I subconsciously didn’t care about learning history until I was older and evaluated how I approached my education in my youth.
If our actions are a reflection of our beliefs and our convictions, then my actions of just cramming information for a test reveal what I believed, that I didn’t have a motivation or purpose beyond the test for learning it.
Did you have a vision as a child, for learning about history?
Probably not, unless you had a parent or a teacher that inspired you to see the why, the purpose.
So today I want to encourage you, courageous moms, to step up your game and give your children vision. Teach them why and what we celebrate today.
PLEASE!
We need to realize that there are going to be huge gaps in our children’s education if we don’t take responsibility for it, and even then there will be gaps because we are NOT perfect, we are human. Regardless of the gaps in their education due to our humanity, we still need to try–we need to be intentional and embrace the charge to teach our children!
We need to teach our children to understand the great sacrifices that these men, our founding fathers, experienced for OUR freedom.
They signed so that the future generations of US citizens could live in freedom from bondage and experience the joy that comes from working hard and reaping what we sow. They created the Declaration of Independence so that we could have freedom to practice what we believe! Do your children know that? Do they know that is why we celebrate; because we are so grateful?
In this day in age when our personal liberties are persecuted and threatened, it’s all the more important that we raise up leaders for the next generation.
God’s word clearly says that “everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father, who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
There are three main reasons why we need to teach our children why and what we celebrate on Independence Day. Paraphrased from For You They Signed, by Marilyn Boyer
- So that we value our freedom and give thanks to God for it and what He did in the hearts and minds of the men who founded our country
- Be proactively inspired to protect those freedoms for our nation and the nation our children and grandchildren will inherit
- So that we all catch the vision and desire that God uses us to effect permanent change in our culture and country– a turning back to godly principles so that God will not withhold His hand of blessing on our nation
We can not value what we do not know, or pass on what we don’t remember. So what if the previous generation failed to give us vision, let’s not act like victims, but instead, let’s proactively embrace relearning so that we can pass down the truth of how we got independence and why we celebrate today.
The reality is that the progressive liberal agenda IS trying to omit truths about who our founding fathers were, what they stood for both in principle and faith. Editing out truthful facts about their faith in the name of separation of Church and State, means that the future generations will not know the WHY behind what led these men to fight for freedom. A belief and a conviction worth living for are one worth dying for, and those men were willing to die for it. Men did die for freedom, liberty, and dignity of every human, and many because of their faith in Jesus Christ and the Word of God!
It is now OUR responsibility, as the parents, to teach our children the truth behind history, the what and why behind what they died for and worked so hard to create.
Regardless of if you home educate your or not, God has ordained You, mom and dad, to teach your children, to train them in godly character, to raise them up and give them an understanding and a vision of WHY this is so important.
We need to rise and be even more diligent to teach our children, to give them the vision.
It seems like a big job. I know, it can be overwhelming, but you can do this with the guidance and perseverance of the Holy Spirit. Just ask God to give you determination and to create a desire in your heart to take on this responsibility to raise our children up in Christ!
If you need help, here it is! Check out these resources that our family uses to help us reclaim our education regarding the 4th of July, Independence Day, and her history for God’s glory. And remember, details are not the most important thing.
If your child doesn’t remember the exact date, it’s ok. A few days ago a friend asked some of my children some questions about the why regarding the 4th and they couldn’t remember even though we had taught them for years. But they do know why we celebrate and that is even more important.
Do your children know why we celebrate? Are they grateful and are excited to exercise their rights, as well as protect them as they grow older?
Here are just a few of our family’s resources.
4 Family Library Must Haves
The Declaration of Independence
The U.S. Constitution
Bill of Rights
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Favorite 4th of July Resources
The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh
The Star Spangled Banner pictured by Ingri & Edgar Parin D’auLaire
For You They Signed by Marilyn Boyer
The American Heritage DVD Series with Historian David Barton
If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney
Lincoln Through the Lens by Martin Sandler
Readers & Biographies
Magic Tree House #21 Civil War Sunday by Mary Pope Osborne
Magic Tree House #22 Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne
Martha Washington America’s First Lady; Childhood of Famous Americans Series
Benjamin Franklin, Young Printer; Childhood of Famous Americans Series
Thomas Edison, Young Inventor; Childhood of Famous Americans Series
For Your Enrichment
The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family
America’s Christian History, The Untold Story by Gary DeMar
Know the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence by George Ross
My hope and prayer is that regardless of your education you feel inspired and empowered to pass this message on to your children, for the sake of our country and for their freedoms and liberties.
Let’s be courageous and step up the game, teaching our children the truth about our country’s history, what was sacrificed for it, and a deep gratitude for what we have had.
Let’s pray with our children today:
Father,
Thank you for giving us free will. Would You soften our hearts to be led by Your Holy Spirit so that we can be Your ambassadors in this world? We want to make You known and glorify You above all else. It deeply grieves our hearts to see our society disregard and disrespect You. We repent for not concerning ourselves enough with laws that go against Your Word. Would You make us bold for You? Help us to have the courage to speak Your truth regarding sins that are normalized and legalized by our government officials and leaders. Raise us up Lord and expand our territory to impact the nation. Give us confidence to withstand persecution and to stand for righteousness for Your Names sake. Jesus thank you for giving us freedom from death and the gift of eternal life. Might we understand just how short of a period of time we have here on earth and steward each moment in light of eternity.
Might You Be Glorified. Amen.
