With the exponentially-rising cost of higher education in America, pundits have recently suggested formal education is “less important” than in the past. Blaming a combination of the economy and liberal philosophies of public education, increasingly even religious people are suggesting people skip college to enter the military or workforce.

But is education good for the soul? In other words, is a college education a help in the long-run for those of us who follow Jesus? I would argue yes, for a variety of reasons.

1. We are to love the Lord with all our mind: The greatest commandment includes intellectual development. It’s hard to compete in a culture of college graduates, MBAs, and PhDs if you’ve only been homeschooled your entire life.

2. We can use our education to further social change: In other words, it’s hard to go to Uganda or Haiti and develop schools if you’ve never graduated college. It’s hard to lead a major non-profit providing health care or clean water without some formal education (and perhaps a lot).

3. Education costs, but lack of education costs more: Christians cannot give what they do not have. Simply put, college graduates make more and those with even more education make even more. For this simple reason alone, it makes sense for people of faith to get the training that makes the income that helps us use it to help those truly in need.

Much more can be said, but simply put, education changes lives. Education is definitely good for the soul.

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DILLON
BURROUGHS is an author, activist, and co-founder of Activist Faith.
Dillon served in Haiti following the epic 2010 earthquake and has
investigated modern slavery in the US and internationally. His books
include Undefending Christianity, Not in My Town (with Charles J.
Powell), and Thirst No More (October). Discover more at DillonBurroughs.org.