Debt is a serious problem in America, and the problem is far-reaching.  Government spending and consumer spending are out of control. The average credit card debt is over $5,000 per family with over 340 million Americans having some form of debt. Some debt such as a mortgage is usually considered a financially sound venture, but the debt increases today surround car loans, student loans, and credit card debt. Christians are not immune to the problem of over-spending and under-paying.  We live in a society of options.  We have brand name options, insurance options, transportation options, loan options, housing options, career options, fashion options, credit options, education options, bank options, and even debt management options.  Options give power to consumers; unfortunately, the consumers have had a hard time managing their options.

Christian parents are faced with the education option that does require some major management of their finances.  K-12 Christian education is a financial burden that is worth the cost, but the cost must be managed.  I have had parents ask me, “What is worse—going into debt to pay K-12 Christian education bills or allowing my children to go to public school?”   My answer to them was never simple and usually uncovered budget areas that could have been managed better to pave the way to a debt-free education choice.  But the question is valid for many families who have done their homework with budget decisions.

My answer to those families who wonder what the worse evil may be—public education or financial debt—the answer is neither.  The worst evil is failing to trust the Lord with all our heart.  I do not endorse public education, I do not endorse financial debt for the cause of Christian education, and I do recognize that not every family is fit for home education.  What I do endorse is faith and trust in an all-knowing, all-loving Lord who knows every Christian family’s financial situation.  I do endorse the truths found in Psalm 84:11 – “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

If public education is my only option, then I must trust the Lord to protect my children, and I must be more vigilant than ever to make sure my church and home is based on a strong Bible foundation for my children.  If Christian education is possible but financially strapping, I must handle my finances in such a way that I trust the Lord to supply the necessary funds knowing that debt is not an option and that budget sacrifices may need to be made as I trust the Lord to take care of my family. Proverbs 3:5-6 may seem as cliché verses to some, but to me they are the hope to my difficult choices:  I do not know my future but I can trust the Lord; I do not understand all of His ways, but I know they are better than my ways; I do not have all the answers, but I can acknowledge a personal, living God Who does have the answers and Who does want to give me the desires of my heart. I can rest knowing that Proverbs 3:5-6 gives me hope in a hopeless world.

Doing wrong (getting into unwise debt) to do right (sending my child to a K-12 Christian school) does not make the wrong at all right. The Lord desires us to be wise and discerning.  He does bless when we do right and leave the rest to Him. I have seen children stand strong despite public education. I have seen mothers mature in their faith because they became prayer warriors for their children who were in the public school system. I have seen families graduate children debt-free but not without sacrifice and a few tough choices. I have seen creativity in a family committed to finding ways to pay their school bills. I have seen Christian school debt separate marriages and sink families. I have seen parents rise to the challenge of home schooling with the help of friends in the church.

Living a life of trust and obedience to our Lord will strengthen our children in their Christian faith. Doing right during difficult situations will communicate sincere Christian living. The truth is that the Lord blesses those who walk upright. We have many options, but the first and foremost option is to trust and obey our heavenly Father. Christians are not distinct because of their education standards. Christians are not distinct because of material blessings. Christians are distinct because they do right in a world where doing wrong is the norm. We cannot grade ourselves on the curve; we must seek a higher calling that raises the expectations to the name Holy. Being unwise in piling on debt is not holy.  Doing right is holy.  God will not withhold any good thing to those who do right (Psalm 84:11). We just need to remember that God defines good as that which makes me more like Him (Romans 8:28-29).

Consider these principles when helping school parents manage school payments:

1. Have a maximum amount policy. We recognize families face tough months in any given year. Having a policy that recognizes how long or how much debt we will carry for them is wise. Figure out that line and manage the policy with consistency.
2. Have a zero-balance requirement before parents re-enroll their children for the next year. The worst thing we could do for that family is to enroll them while they still carry an old school bill.
3. Provide financial counsel for those who struggle to manage a budget but truly desire to make K-12 Christian education a possibility.
4. Provide discipleship events that bring discounts to tuition so that you are accomplishing two things in one night: discipleship of parents plus helping them pay down a school bill.
5. Provide fundraisers for the sole purpose of tuition reduction and not just for raising funds for trips and/or school projects.