Isn't it Ironic?

Well, it is time once again. Time for what you might ask? Summer? Well, yes, but that is not what I am referring to this time. No, it is time to pay the summer school bill. It is a time when once again I come face to face with the actual "investment" that education requires. However, education itself is not the subject of my ramblings. I am a huge proponent of education. After all, I am a graduate student and will have participated in higher education for at least a total of eight years before the earliest possible completion date.

My subject for today more specifically involves the irony of Christian education. This day represents the struggle I encounter every other day throughout my journey through higher education at a Christian institution. I am reminded of the amount of debt my wife and I are incurring in order to pursue a life of ministry. Granted, we all have to make sacrifices in life, but it is disheartening to think that just to receive a Christian education we must sacrifice our future financial situation and quite possibly our children's as well. Believe me, money is not the goal of my life. I want to work to live, not live to work. However, I am also well aware that ministry does not always provide financial stability, which leads me to contemplate whether or not the accumulation of debt is worthwhile. It just seems ironic that based on the cost, loans are encouraged and thousands of dollars of debt are incurred in order to obtain a Christian education. Am I (are we) being a good steward?

I realize that the irony surrounding Christian education affects more than just me as a student. Faculty, staff, administration, parents, and children are all affected in some way or another(and the list probably goes on). I've heard my fair share of horror stories in regard to the paralyzing effect of school debt on the lives of many families. But, in most cases, each person valued the sacrifice for one reason or another. I for one, value my education. I value the experiences I have shared because of my pursuit of a Christian education. I believe I am a different person because of the formation I received from Christian education. I have worked hard to be a good steward while at the same time entrusting my life (including my education debt) to God. I wish the scenario could be different. I wish a Christian education could be as free to everyone as the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. However, the reality of a private institution (Christian or not) outweighs my strongest desire in regard to this matter.

So, what do I do from this point? I continue to try to be a good steward of whatever blessings God provides and continue to trust Him even in the midst of what can feel like a tidal wave of school debt(or should I say investment)! You know, faith is almost always greater than anything I can fathom. I'm just thankful God is even greater than our school debt!

Where He leads me, I will follow!