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I cant do math. Its to hard. my teachers their mean and inpacient.

Honestly, it pains me to see students step into the world, spelling and writing as if their education shortchanged them.

Degrees and school isnt whats realy importent in life. I just want to sirve God.

It’s even worse when eager Christian students emerge with a powerful vision to make a difference, only to become the laughingstock of their peers. The world laughs, not because of their message or their faith, but because of how they communicate it.

I see a common trend developing among Christian young people, who clutch so ardently to an eternal vision they lose sight of the condition of the world around them. Droves of students are turning down opportunities for higher education and professional training in order to jump into the ministry as soon as possible. After all, serving God is every Christian’s calling, isn’t it? And a year wasted in school is a year wasted off the mission field. Even those who are in school often fail to see the relevance of their studies to their future. I want to serve God, not calculate logarithms! Diligence in mastering basic skills in math, spelling, grammar, and other tedious disciplines is pushed to the wayside in favor of church youth group activities and various ministry opportunities.

I admit I subscribed to the same logic when my parents first began discussing plans for graduate school with me. I was on my way to finishing my undergraduate degree, as they wished, and as far as I was concerned, that was all that was necessary. I was completing my education — I had even done well and applied myself to my studies — and anything else was just for overachievers.

Instead, I wanted to plunge into the mission field. Since the age of seven, I have felt called to missions, and up until that point, I had yet to go on an international missions trip. My feet wanted to run, and my heart longed to serve and minister.

But, my parents thought graduate school was in order. Why, I asked. Why would I need a master’s degree to work with children on the mission field? I could see that there might be benefits, but it would be more time, money, and energy separating me from my calling. As my parents and I began discussing my options, I began to realize three things about education: first, the world values education; second, education establishes our credibility; and third, education is good.

Answer a Fool According to His Folly

While we, as Christians, can and should realize that an education isn’t God’s first priority, we cannot deny that the world values a good education. Education is required up to a certain age in the U.S., and degrees carry much weight in terms of social status and career opportunities. To be poorly educated is at best a pity; at worst, it is a disgrace. So despite our spiritual emphasis on matters of more importance than intellectual advancement, we cannot deny that we live in a world that esteems education.

As the salt of the world, one of our goals is to touch the world around us. In order to touch it, we have to be able to relate to it. Of course, this is not to say that all of the world’s values should be adopted as our own. Rather, compare it to playing soccer with a group of young soccer-enthusiasts, even if you prefer football. You meet them at their level in hopes of winning an open ear and, eventually, an open heart.

Paul discussed this concept in I Corinthians 9:20-23:

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. (ESV)

Although education does not define us as ministering Christians, for the sake of those we’re called to win, we should take it on and become all things to all people.

Credibility’s Influence

So why is education often a free pass into a world that is otherwise closed to Christian work? In a world that values education, being educated establishes one’s credibility. Sometimes, this means a degree, but on a much simpler and more potent level, being educated means speaking, writing, and presenting oneself as an educated person. Just as newspapers seek to maintain impeccable consistency in style and accuracy in order to bolster their credibility with the public, so communicators of the Gospel should do all in their power to secure their credibility so the world will be open to receiving their message.

You might contest, “That’s not fair! The Gospel stands on its own despite my weaknesses!” However, when the world recognizes academic proficiency, the lack thereof undermines our credibility, and consequently the credibility of our message. Ask yourself: Am I facilitating the Gospel, or am I hindering it? Is my lack of a degree or the diligence I didn’t apply to learning tedious technicalities holding someone back from believing my message?

The Blessing of Education

With all this talk about meeting the world’s standards and establishing credibility, let us not forget that education is a good thing. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (ESV). God has given us intellect to be used and stretched. The more we understand about the world around us and the God we serve, whether through history, business, art, or science, the better prepared we are to “make a defense to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]” (I Peter 3:15b, ESV).

Moreover, by pushing our minds to their furthest limits, we become wise stewards of the talents God has given us. Learning through experience is a lifetime occupation, but learning in the classroom only lasts for a season. Why should we shortchange ourselves of the opportunity, simply because we are impatient?

Pete Seeger, a folk singer, once said, “Education is when you read the fine print. Experience is what you get if you don’t.” Education is a precious commodity, which many who desire it cannot obtain. Don’t slam the door on an opportunity that can transform your life from a narrow aperture to an open panorama.

Live Today for Eternity

The Scriptures speak in Romans 8 and other passages of our true identity as heirs with Christ, called to bring the Gospel of truth to the ends of the earth. That is who we are, and that is our true calling. Schooling is just a part of the process, a short season in the long journey. Lest we misplace our energies, we must never lose sight of our end, and as Christians, that destination is Christ-likeness through service wherever God has called us to glorify Himself.

Therefore, to bring it all into perspective, let us employ the concept behind the Latin phrase, carpe diem, or “seize the day.” Some interpret the philosophy as a carte blanche to assume a hedonistic lifestyle of carnal sin and pleasure. However, another interpretation accounts for the Biblical principle of stewardship: God has given us one life to live. Let us seize the day, and see God manifest in our lives and the lives of those around us.

While our destination may be the marketplace or the ministry, let us not dismiss the valuable gems we can collect from the classroom and thereby cheat ourselves of the abundant life. We learn life skills from experience, but experience takes place both on the field and in school. Even in an academic institution, we are given the opportunity to experience relationships, politics, crises, and victory. Life, whether on the streets or in an institution, is life nonetheless. Therefore, if we maintain this outlook, we can seize the full day that God desires for us.

This fall I will be enrolling in Columbia Biblical Seminary to earn my master’s degree in Intercultural Studies. Far from resenting the two years that I will be devoting to yet more schoolwork, I thank God for this precious opportunity to learn about mission work in a classroom setting from experienced professors and classmates. Of course, I understand this delays my launch into the field, but I see it as a time of better preparation to attain the world’s credentials, bolster my credibility, and equip myself with a very good thing. I have searched the will of God, and I know this to be His plan for me. If this is the day that the Lord has made, then I will rejoice and be glad in it!