This post will speak specifically to Christian educators and early childhood professionals. It will look at the dangers of compartmentalization for them personally, society as a whole, and the children they serve.
What Is Compartmentalization?
As I said in the opening, this post is for Christian educators and early childhood professionals. Therefore, the definition for compartmentalization I will use for this post is the act of completely dividing their personal faith and belief system from their professional actions and belief system. It is putting your personal faith in a box and not allowing that faith to dictate your actions in your professional life. Most people that do this work in fields that are heavily dominated by liberal, progressive policies and procedures. This very much includes most if not all of the educational field and early childhood professionals unless those educators work in private, Christian settings. However, even early childhood professionals that work in Christian settings will still find themselves dealing with this scenario because of standards and best practices. Unless you are in complete denial about the course standards and best practices are taking in this country, you know that the underlying philosophical base for nearly all education in this country is not only liberal but very liberal. It gets worse with every passing year. The college instruction that you received taught you to compartmentalize your faith whether you realize that or not. Most of the time this happens under the guise of separation of church and state and making you believe that working in the public sector means that you must put your faith in a box. That is not only not true, but as I will point out in the following sections dangerous. The first amendment does not exclude religion from the public sector. It protects the religious from state dominance. We have been fed a lie for years and years. I pray that this new administration will actually do much to undo what previous administrations did or allowed to force people of faith to compartmentalize.
The Personal Dangers
Most of the Christian people I know that work in the educational field or early childhood field are either completely miserable or in complete denial. There really does not exist a middle ground. Both of these states of being come with their own dangers. Working in a field that makes you completely miserable takes a heavy toll on any person emotionally, physically, but most importantly spiritually. The emotional and physical toll is easy to decipher but the spiritual toll may be a little harder to discern. Most of the time the motivation that keeps people in jobs that they despise is fear - fear of loss of income or loss of prestige. However, as Christian people our Father is our Provider. If He calls you out of a job, He will provide. It may not be at the level you think you need, but it will always be at the level you really need. For example, many woman would love to be stay-at-home moms but they fear the loss of income and/or the damage they feel it will have on their career. However, having been a stay-at-home mom I understand that there are many things I could live without if I got the opportunity to raise my own babies. There was no contest. Material wealth does not necessarily bring happiness and many times brings despair instead. Remember that. On the other side of the coin are those that live in denial. For those, I want to pose this question. Do you really believe that your excuse for teaching children some of the things you are forced to teach children will stand up when you are face to face with God Almighty? His word is very explicit on how He feels about putting stumbling blocks in front of children. Do you really believe He will accept your excuses for teaching children that He did not create this world not to mention that He created them male and female? Get your head out of the sand and open your eyes. Our Father does not approve of quite a few of the things that pass for education these days. You will answer for all of it when you stand before Him.
The Societal Dangers
Most Christian educators really believe that it is important for them to be in their position because if all the Christian people left the public schools and/or licensed childcares then the world would take completely over. My question to them is this. If you are forced to compartmentalize your faith, how are you different from the non-believing teachers and educators? You basically teach the same material and you do not dare contradict that material for fear of your job. Many Christian teachers like to say they are salt and light in the public school system. However, to be salt and light, you have to be salty and let your light shine. If you put your light under a basket (compartmentalization), you are basically having no effect. We also know what our Father says about salt that has lost its saltiness. We do not affect our culture for the good when we hide our light and lose our saltiness and our culture desperately needs salt and light. The first century Christians never, ever compartmentalized their faith and many of them lost their lives. We are so timid and fearful that we will not even risk a job for the sake of the gospel. Again, I ask you. Do you really believe all these excuses will fly when you stand before your Creator? My fellow Christians, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Let us get our priorities straight and fear the right Person. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the decay and decline of our educational system. The progressive left does not even pretend to hide their motives anymore. This war is for the hearts of our children and we are losing miserably. How many of our children have to be indoctrinated through our public school systems and turn their backs on our Lord before we wake up and realize we have been foolish and swallowed lie after lie? Get your salt back and let your light shine and let the chips fall where they may. God will provide.
The Dangers for the Children
I have already touched on some of the many dangers to children. When we teach children outright falsehoods and lies, we are putting stumbling blocks in front of them. The forces of darkness always attack the children of a society. This is a war for the hearts and minds of our children. Are you teaching them to love their Creator or are you teaching them to compartmentalize their faith? Are you teaching them that religion is just something you do in your spare time to make you feel good or are you teaching them about the life-changing relationship they can have with the Creator of this universe? Even if you are not outright teaching them to compartmentalize, you do teach them to do it by example if you are doing it yourself. Oftentimes, our example teaches so much more than our words. What are you really teaching the children in your sphere of influence? We need to get real about the true answer to that question.
Conclusion
At this point many of you may be asking what is the solution to this dilemma. If many Christian people do not compartmentalize their faith, they stand a great risk of being fired or blacklisted in their field. I know because I have been blacklisted in many circles. I ignored the memo on compartmentalization because I was wise enough to know the danger and damage that compartmentalization can cause. I wanted you to know those dangers and damages. For some of you not compartmentalizing will mean losing your job. Are you willing to do that for your Lord? For some of you not compartmentalizing will mean a loss of prestige in your field. Are you willing to do that for your Lord? Do not tell yourself that God does not call you to take such stands. The Bible is chalked full of examples of people that took such stands. We are called to take up our cross and follow Him. I ask you to quit lying to yourself and telling yourself it will be okay because it will not be okay. Our country will grow worse and worse without your salt and your light. Also, remember that God often brings very unexpected visions and calls out of situations we think are complete disasters. Sometimes we are so intent on hanging onto what we think we should be doing that we never discover what God truly intends for us to do. Quit putting God in a box and let Him show you how marvelous your life can truly be.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. Goodbye and God bless!!
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