IS FORMAL EDUCATION WORTH IT?
Formal education refers to the structured education system that runs from primary (and in some countries from nursery) school to university, and includes specialised programmes for vocational, technical and professional training. — Council of Europe
As a proponent of a Biblical system of education where structure is overly emphasized, I am all for education. I am just challenged with the question “How much formal education should I have to become effective in my ministry?” Of course, highly specialized professionals like doctors, engineers, and pilots, are required to have the full training course schools offer and then pass government licensing exams before they can practice. But, for most of the job vacancies, is it justified to ask for a doctorate? or a double degree?
Take my current role as an example. I have been involved in School of Tomorrow®, Philippines, since 2003. I started as a clerk and encoder. I went to college but had to drop out because of financial problems. Technically, I am a High School graduate who, ironically, conducts training on how to use our unique system of education. I am confident with my knowledge and understanding of our system and set processes acquired over the years, which is why top management trusts me to conduct these lectures. If you look at my role and responsibilities, you would want a highly qualified person with a master's or doctorate to handle the department I am tasked to lead. But, here I am, a high school graduate, trying to make things work.
The Bible even speaks of personalities who have no credentials but were used by God mightily to push His divine agenda. Look at the 12 apostles. Only Matthew, the tax collector, has credentials. But, they were all used by God in a mighty way. I believe that, even if they were not formally educated, their journey with Jesus gave them the best seat in the world when it comes to training and development. Jesus, God incarnate, took time to teach the apostles about everything and anything they were encountering. The mysteries of life were being unfolded right in front of them.
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Then, there are highly qualified personalities in the Bible who could boast of their credentials, deem them worthless in their cause. Look what the Apostle Paul said:
The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash — along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant — dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ — God’s righteousness. I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. — Philippians 3:7–11 (The Message)
Talk about embracing Christ! If you want an overview of the Apostle Paul’s credentials, click here!
Let us build on the Apostle Paul’s point above. Why would he throw out everything he had achieved? Well, he already answered it in the verse presented above “…so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.” The goal of the Apostle Paul is clear, and I believe he understood that his formal education before knowing Christ would only hinder his spiritual journey. If you look at the verse carefully, Paul did not say “Don’t pursue being trained!” or “Never aim for higher knowledge” he is just showing us that his priority is knowing more of Jesus even unto death.
Learning is a life-long skill that we should cultivate and embrace. Formal education may be a tool for us to be used by God in building his kingdom but is not the only way. Kudos to all who have gotten their master's and doctorate degrees, but I also tip my hat to everyone who doesn’t have degrees or diplomas but strives to learn more about our Savior. Christ should be the common ground of all believers in the area of education — formal or informal.
I have two kids. Upon the writing of this article, my eldest will be in the 2nd Grade Level this coming school year and my youngest will be entering Pre-school. Their formal education journey is starting and I am rooting for them. I want them to develop a deeper vocabulary so that they can express their ideas elaborately. I want them to enhance their reading comprehension so that they will have a better understanding of life. I want them to see God’s design in Mathematics and how numbers contribute to a better life. I pray that they will develop critical thinking to prepare them to respond to the gospel message. Then, once they mature, I want them to gain enough understanding of what God wants for them and decide how they could better serve Him. I will love them regardless of what level of education they attain in life.
To answer the question “Is it worth it?” Yes, it is. In the beginning stages of the child, a structured environment conducive to learning is needed. The basics of life should be taught — reading, writing, & arithmetics. They need to understand their position in this world in the light of God’s Word. Then, once they are over the age of accountability and at the crossroads of pursuing a higher form of formal education, then I pray that they push through only in the context of (1) pursuing a more personal knowledge of Christ in their journey, (2) gaining a greater understanding of Christ’s resurrection in the added learnings, (3) having a clearer acceptance of our sufferings in Christ through the experiences we will gain, and (4) willingly and properly defending our faith when persecution comes. The moment the pursuit for a higher form of formal education points people to us rather than toward God, then we have gained understanding in vain.
Let our education verify the truth of God’s principles and not validate our part in the ministry. Remember, God looks at the heart of the believer. That is why, God does not call the qualified, because no one can meet God’s standards, but he does qualify those He has called.
Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash
