Before the First Bell Rings

Before the First Bell Rings
It’s that time of year again.
The backpacks are coming out of closets. School supply lists are being checked and double-checked. New shoes are being broken in. Haircuts are happening. Bedtimes are getting earlier, whether everyone is ready for them or not. And somewhere in the middle of the chaos, parents are realizing, How is summer already over?
For some children, this week will bring excitement. For others, nerves. Some will walk confidently through the school doors, while others will hold tightly to a parent’s hand for just a few extra seconds.
And as we send our children back to school, I think there is something important we need to remember:
Before God gave our children to schools, He gave them to families.
That truth isn't meant to diminish the incredible role teachers and schools play. Quite the opposite. Teachers are entrusted with something incredibly precious when they welcome our children into their classrooms. They teach them to read and write, solve problems, ask questions, think critically, create, collaborate, and discover the world around them.
But there are some lessons that begin long before the first day of kindergarten and continue long after the final school bell rings.
God gave parents the first opportunity to teach their children what it means to love, to serve, to forgive, to persevere, to tell the truth, to show kindness, and to trust Him.
In Deuteronomy 6:6–7, God tells His people:
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road…”
Notice where this happens.
At home.
On the road.
In the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Faith was never meant to be something we simply drop our children off somewhere to learn.
It was meant to be lived in front of them.
Our children will learn a lot at school this year. They will learn facts and formulas, vocabulary and history. They will learn how to navigate friendships, disappointment, conflict, success, failure, and probably a few things their parents would rather they didn't learn quite so quickly.
But who will remind them that their worth isn't measured by a grade?
Who will teach them that being left out doesn't mean they aren't loved?
Who will remind them that failure doesn't define them?
Who will teach them to apologize when they are wrong, forgive when someone hurts them, and choose kindness when kindness isn't easy?
Who will teach them that telling the truth matters even when the truth is uncomfortable?
Who will remind them that when they are afraid, they don't have to be afraid alone?
That's where we come in.
And parents, please hear this as encouragement—not condemnation.
You don't have to be perfect.
You don't have to have a perfectly organized home, a flawless morning routine, or a family devotional every single night. You aren't going to get every conversation right. You will lose your patience. Your kids will test every ounce of it. There will be rushed mornings, forgotten homework, missed opportunities, and days when everyone just needs to go to bed.
Grace belongs in parenting, too.
What matters is that our children see us continually pointing them back to Jesus.
So as you pack lunches this week, pray.
As you drive to school, pray.
As you stand in the drop-off line, pray.
Pray for your child's teacher. Pray for their friendships. Pray for the things you know about and the things you don't.
And then pray for the teachers.
Because teachers are walking into classrooms carrying an enormous responsibility. They aren't simply teaching subjects. They are investing hours of their lives into children who have been entrusted to their care.
Teachers, thank you.
Thank you for seeing the child who feels invisible. Thank you for encouraging the child who doesn't believe they can do it. Thank you for celebrating progress that no one else may notice. Thank you for being patient on the hard days. Thank you for teaching, correcting, encouraging, and loving our kids.
Parents and teachers aren't competing for influence.
We are partners in caring for children who ultimately belong to God.
And that is why our churches have a role to play, too.
As a church family, we should be praying for our schools—not just when there is a crisis, but every day.
Pray for principals and administrators making difficult decisions.
Pray for teachers who are exhausted before the school year even gets started.
Pray for counselors and staff members carrying burdens we may never see.
Pray for children who are struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or spiritually.
Pray for the child who is excited to go to school and the child who is terrified.
Pray that our schools would be places where children are safe, known, valued, challenged, and loved.
And perhaps most of all, pray that God would use the ordinary people in their lives to show them something extraordinary about Him.
Because before the first bell rings, before the backpacks are zipped, before the school buses pull away and the classrooms fill up, our children need to know something far more important than anything they'll find on a school supply list:
They are loved.
They are valuable.
They are created on purpose.
And they belong to God.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” (Matthew 19:14)
So let's bring them to Him.
Not perfectly.
Not with all the answers.
But faithfully.
Pack the backpack. Take the first-day picture. Find the missing water bottle. Sign the permission slip. Make the breakfast. Kiss the forehead. Say the prayer.
And then send them into the world knowing that they don't go alone.
Because the most important thing our children carry into school this year won't be in their backpacks.
It will be what they've learned about who they are, who God is, and how deeply they are loved.
Before the first bell rings, let's remember our calling.
Before God gave them to schools, He gave them to us.
And what a beautiful responsibility that is.