Since the early days of Kindergarten, we’ve learned the three fundamentals of education: reading, writing, and arithmetic. We know Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, and the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Our educational system provided us the groundwork to be successful in life.

But what if there was something more to life than reciting the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence or calculating the hypotenuse of a triangle?

Most will argue in favor of a good education, but what about our purpose in life? What is the reason for the life we have? Where are we heading as a civilization?

These questions have plagued humanity since the beginning of history. In reality, the answer is not hard to find when we know where to look.

While academics can provide us the tools for living, it is our reliance upon God and His word that gives us the meaning of life.

Reasons for Spiritual Education

Reason #1: The Existence of God

Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

We can see the evidence of God’s existence through His creation. Whether it be the orange and yellow hues of a sunrise or the thirty-plus trillion cells that make up the human body, God made His creation in a way so that all are without excuse.

Jesus says in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and the life. All that is true can be found in Jesus Christ.

Because God exists, it behooves us to glorify Him in all we do. To quote the Westminster Confession of Faith, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Our responsibility as educators is to foster the necessity of developing a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Reason #2: The Depravity of Humanity

Since Adam and Eve had violated God’s command not to eat the forbidden fruit, sin has ruled the human heart and separated us from a holy God. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

It says in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”

Since we have fallen short of God’s standard of righteousness, we are doomed to eternal punishment. Yet, God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a sacrifice for those sins. When we place our faith in Christ, God restores our relationship with Him, and we have eternal life.

Without teaching our students these truths, they will be lost.

Reason #3: The Consequences of Education Without God

Since the landmark Supreme Court cases of Engel vs. Vitale and Abington School District vs. Schempp, our public schools have drastically deteriorated.

Before 1963, our classrooms led our children to pray, “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon thee, and we beg thy blessings on our parents, our teachers, and our country. Amen.”

From 1963 to today, we see the results of leaving God out of our classrooms. According to an article written by Shedwin Eliassin at Panter Now, former Education Secretary William Bennet revealed startling statistics. Bennet stated that our divorce rate doubled between 1960 to 1990, teenage pregnancy shot up 200 percent, teen suicide rose 300 percent, and violent crime skyrocketed to 500 percent. Roughly 5.9 percent of all students carry weapons with them to school.

Violence in public schools has reached nightmare proportions. The school shootings at Parkland High School, Columbine, Sandy Hook, and Virginia Tech would have been unthinkable over fifty years ago. Today, it has become the new normal.

Our Responsibility as Educators

Given the resultant effects of banning God from our schools, it is paramount to find god however you can.  Whether this means going to a Christian college or university or simply volunteering at your local shelter, you should do it one way or another. While it is important to learn math, science, and history, teaching our students the love of God and his power to forgive sin will be the most crucial lesson to learn in life.