Ramsey: Only part of the story

Prior to my oldest getting married more than eight years ago, my wife and I provided tickets for our four children to attend a Dave Ramsey presentation. Each child was nearing the years when they would be managing their own accounts and moving out of the house, and our hope was to have them begin the good practices of budgeting and a commitment to debt-free living.

The presentation illuminated several good points about establishing wise habits in personal finance. At the conclusion of the event, a personal testimony was given, which included the assertion that young people should not go into debt for college tuition.

I was uncomfortable at the time and have since come to realize why I thought the example was problematic: The "pay as you go mantra" was based on a false assumption. For Ramsey, the college education is about the degree; the piece of paper at the end of the four years that helped you get a job, not about the life formation of thinking and character that develops during the college years.

In the past two weeks, several conversations with students and graduates have solidified my thoughts. Students shared with me the life-changing experiences and formation of character that took place during their time in Christian college. Vocation became about everyday life and choices; not just the job.

College education choices also have to be about stewardship of the mind and heart; developing both to full potential. Choosing an institution of higher education should not be based solely on the question: "Where can I go to gain a degree and remain debt-free"?

If a career is, as I believe, more about learning to live daily in fulfillment than getting a paycheck at the end of the month, then perhaps the education that prepares you for that career should be based on more than the degree at the end of your studies.