I Remember Working

article by PAUL LIPE
opinion expressed is that of the writer

I REMEMBER some of the jobs that I held during my years as a college student — jobs that provided funds which helped me with incidental expenses that are associated with the life of a college student.  The more major costs, such as tuition and lodging and meals, were covered by scholarships and by living off-campus in my parents’ home.

The net result was that, instead of piling up massive indebtedness that would have plagued me for years, I graduated debt-free from an expensive college.  During my time as a seminary student, I repeated my practice of part-time work with the same result of graduating with no significant debt hanging over my head.  

This “pay-as-you-go” approach had advantages different from just avoiding the burden of repaying education loans while, at the same time, trying to begin a new career.  I think it is evident that freedom from a massive financial burden is, of course, a vitally important consideration and is reason enough for one to have this as a principle goal for the college student.  If the sole result is avoiding huge indebtedness, that, in itself, is noteworthy, commendable and peace-producing.  However, there were other compensations besides the contentment of not having to handle the weight of a long-range repayment of a debt that did not have to exist.  

One of these add-on gains of working to help with the costs of a college education is that such an effort can go a long way in developing a sense of dependability and responsibility.  Earning resources instead of borrowing them is more difficult but is also more rewarding.  Not only is debt avoided, but there is the added benefit of the contentment in knowing that one is acting conscientiously by “carrying his own weight”.  My parents were not financially able to provide much monetary assistance, so my options were to borrow cash or to find ways to earn enough so as not to saddle my future with the burden of huge financial liability.  Choosing the second alternative was one of the best options of my life. 

Another significant advantage of summer time employment was that, as I worked alongside of other employees, I learned more about human nature than I did from any psychology course I took in college or seminary. Partnering with people who had different views and aspirations and work ethics exposed me to a picture of human nature that has enhanced my understanding of man’s heart.  This has been of immense benefit to me as I have sought to fulfill my calling as a pastor/minister.

Another thing that has benefited me in my life’s vocation is that, as the result of my jobs that provided college-expense income for me, I learned to appreciate the labor that others had undertaken.  Our occupations can sometimes be very taxing, even to the point of causing discouragement or despair.  Grasping this truth has resulted in a greater appreciation of those who contend with the challenges of their vocations. It is almost as if I can “walk in their shoes.” 

Earning one’s way can be instrumental in developing the skill to manage one’s finances as well as to develop some discipline relative to spending habits.  It encourages  a person to be more inclined to spend his resources on what he needs rather than what he wants.  Spending, and perhaps wasting borrowed money, comes easier than doing the same with money that has been earned.  With earned dollars, we tend to seek to “get our money’s worth.”

Above all the above-mentioned reasons for being financially sound is that God is pleased when we exercise our time and talents wisely. To this end, He instructs us in Proverbs 6:6 to follow the example of the industrious ant.  So, let us be faithful in giving our best effort in whatever He gives us to do.