“A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” -Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

A couple of years ago, the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Lee Siegel titled “Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans” in which the author explained — duh! — why he wasn’t paying back his student loans. Let us at least give credit to the editors of the Times for accuracy in titling this article. Further, let’s give one cheer for this window into one man’s capacity for rationalization. Now let’s explore why this should approach should not enter the thoughts of a man of consequence.

When you owe a legitimate debt, you shouldn’t have to wrestle your conscience. (photo credit: Ryan McGuire)

It’s called theft

If I could only express one objection to Mr. Siegel’s default it is this: he earned and received a college degree — getting all the benefits it provides — and only then decided not to pay. This is stealing, pure and simple.

That’s one of the top ten

Whether you believe in God or not, whether you practice your faith or not, you cannot ignore the profound influence of the Ten Commandments over civic law and personal ethics. I point this out first to note that nearly every culture frowns on stealing. I also point out that even my atheist friends don’t want people stealing from them, so even if they deny the existence of a Transcendent law-giver, they appreciate the utility of the law.

In his article, Siegel addresses the “what-if-everbody-defaults” issue by glibly claiming that this would be a good thing, as the greedy profiteers would be exposed. Not coincidentally, the author bio at the end of his op-ed says that Lee Siegel is the author of five books who is currently writing a financial memoir. I wonder how he would feel if consumers — inspired this piece of his — simply stole his books.

Going the extra mile

The late financial counselor and author, Larry Burkett, used to have a radio talk show — in many ways it was similar to what Dave Ramsey does now. Callers would explain their situation and Larry would help them figure out a path to solvency. One bit of advice I heard him give has stuck with me for years: Larry Burkett always recommended that people make their creditors whole — paying every penny — even if the debt had been erased through bankruptcy. This was essential to maintaining one’s reputation

Higher stakes

In addition to your reputation, and your ability to sleep soundly, there are other benefits to paying your bills. Society flourishes or fails according to the strength of its families and its markets. Interestingly, both depend on the ability to trust and to be trusted. I have the same opinion of people who steal as I do of those who take solemn vows and break them.

In God We Trust

Consider whose likenesses appear on US currency. To name a few: George Washington — to whom legends attribute the statement “I cannot tell a lie;” Abraham “Honest Abe” Lincoln; and Benjamin Franklin — mister “a penny saved is a penny earned.” And on every coin and every note, the national motto: In God we trust. Clearly, our founders emphasized liberty, but even more virtue — the greatest form of self-government. Skipping out on your debts doesn’t just injure the victims of your theft, it also injures your neighbors who have to pick up the slack. And this doesn’t include what it does to your character, your soul.

All others pay cash

Perhaps you can earn a scholarship, or two, or three. If not, I know several young men who are working and paying their way through their first two years at the local technical or community college. There are also co-operative programs that enable a student to alternate semesters or years working and attending school. Serving in the military is yet another way to earn money for education. My late father-in-law earned his bachelor’s degree on the GI Bill following WWII. If you’re determined, there is a way.

I’m actually on your side

I agree with Lee Siegel that the cost of a college education has increased at a rate that has eclipsed its overall rate of return. A man can’t accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars of indebtedness to take a job that tops out at, say, $35,000 a year. This is, however, an argument for making better and more informed decisions instead of playing the educational equivalent of dine and dash.

If you’re on the hook for student loans, you have a moral and a legal obligation to pay what you owe. Unfair as it may seem, bankruptcy does not discharge student loan debt.

If you haven’t gotten into debt, avoid it and find another way to fund your education. There are already free college courses available online, and other providers are charging a fraction of what residential colleges and universities charge — without the pathologies of Marxist social engineering that make college a hostile environment for men.

I’ve said before that formal education may not fit your budget. Even so, there is no excuse for being ignorant. Cultivate your mind by reading, and cultivate your character — you can start by paying what you owe.

So how about you? Share your story about how you got into — or out of — debt below.

What is an idol?

Although Elrond here looks saintly, I wouldn’t pray to him. (Photo by Gabriela Brandão/Facebook)

How it all works

Idols? In the current year?

A recent revelation

So how can a man keep his heart from idols?

Make God — the ultimate reality — your hiding place.

So how about you? What idols have crept into your life? How do you plan to combat them? Add your comments below.

This is part of an ongoing series about Identity, Stimulation, and Security. You can read the earlier posts here, here, and here.

“A good name is more desirable than great riches;
    to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” -Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

Last month the New York Times published an op-ed piece by Lee Siegel titled “Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans” in which the author explained — duh! — why he wasn’t paying back his student loans. Let us at least give credit to the editors of the Times for accuracy in titling this article. Further, let’s give one cheer for this window into one man’s capacity for rationalization. Now let’s explore why this should approach should not enter the thoughts of a man of consequence.

When you owe a legitimate debt, you shouldn’t have to wrestle your conscience. (photo credit: Ryan McGuire)

It’s called theft

If I could only express one objection to Mr. Siegel’s default it is this: he earned and received a college degree — getting all the benefits it provides — and only then decided not to pay. This is stealing, pure and simple.

That’s one of the top ten

Whether you believe in God or not, whether you practice your faith or not, you cannot ignore the profound influence of the Ten Commandments over civic law and personal ethics. I point this out first to note that nearly every culture frowns on stealing. I also point out that even my atheist friends don’t want people stealing from them, so even if they deny the existence of a Transcendent law-giver, they appreciate the utility of the law.

In his article, Siegel addresses the “what-if-everbody-defaults” issue by glibly claiming that this would be a good thing, as the greedy profiteers would be exposed. Not coincidentally, the author bio at the end of his op-ed says that Lee Siegel is the author of five books who is currently writing a financial memoir. I wonder how he would feel if consumers — inspired this piece of his — simply stole his books.

Going the extra mile

The late financial counselor and author, Larry Burkett, used to have a radio talk show — in many ways it was similar to what Dave Ramsey does now. Callers would explain their situation and Larry would help them figure out a path to solvency. One bit of advice I heard him give has stuck with me for years: Larry Burkett always recommended that people make their creditors whole — paying every penny — even if the debt had been erased through bankruptcy. This was essential to maintaining one’s reputation

Higher stakes

In addition to your reputation, and your ability to sleep soundly, there are other benefits to paying your bills. Society flourishes or fails according to the strength of its families and its markets. Interestingly, both depend on the ability to trust and to be trusted. I have the same opinion of people who steal as I do of those who take solemn vows and break them.

In God We Trust

Consider whose likenesses appear on US currency. To name a few: George Washington — to whom legends attribute the statement “I cannot tell a lie;” Abraham “Honest Abe” Lincoln; and Benjamin Franklin — mister “a penny saved is a penny earned.” And on every coin and every note, the national motto: In God we trust. Clearly, our founders emphasized liberty, but even more virtue — the greatest form of self-government. Skipping out on your debts doesn’t just injure the victims of your theft, it also injures your neighbors who have to pick up the slack. And this doesn’t include what it does to your character, your soul.

All others pay cash

Perhaps you can earn a scholarship, or two, or three. If not, I know several young men who are working and paying their way through their first two years at the local technical or community college. There are also co-operative programs that enable a student to alternate semesters or years working and attending school. Serving in the military is yet another way to earn money for education. My late father-in-law earned his bachelor’s degree on the GI Bill following WWII. If you’re determined, there is a way.

I’m actually on your side

I agree with Lee Siegel that the cost of a college education has increased at a rate that has eclipsed its overall rate of return. A man can’t accumulate hundreds of thousands of dollars of indebtedness to take a job that tops out at, say, $35,000 a year. This is, however, an argument for making better and more informed decisions instead of playing the educational equivalent of dine and dash.

If you’re on the hook for student loans, you have a moral and a legal obligation to pay what you owe. Unfair as it may seem, bankruptcy does not discharge student loan debt.

If you haven’t gotten into debt, avoid it and find another way to fund your education. There are already free college courses available online, and other providers are charging a fraction of what residential colleges and universities charge — without the pathologies of Marxist social engineering that make college a hostile environment for men.

I’ve said before that formal education may not fit your budget. Even so, there is no excuse for being ignorant. Cultivate your mind by reading, and cultivate your character — you can start by paying what you owe.

So how about you? Share your story about how you got into — or out of — debt below.

I submit to you that human beings are created with a need to worship that is as real and fundamental as the need for food, water and air.  It’s because we’re made in the image of God — because we have souls and all that goes with them — that we crave transcendence.

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He has risen, just as He said.”

Our corrupted state makes this yearning even more intense.  The apparent randomness of life deepens in us the desire to connect with One who is bigger than we are, and who is able to change our circumstances, or at the very worst to redeem them.  We can take comfort in the knowledge that the world is in loving and all-powerful hands.

But even if you don’t worship this God, or any name-brand god, you worship something.  It could be money, sex, power, approval, your hair, your physique, your reputation, your kids or your career.  You know you worship whatever it is this way:  It is where your thoughts, your time and your money go.  You make decisions around it, because it holds the place of preeminence in your life.  Sound familiar?  As Bob Dylan sang, “You gotta serve somebody.”

Skeptics, Sign In

If you question whether mankind is made for worship, consider that the God of the Bible — that is, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — takes this as a given.  When God gave the law to Moses, He began with the ten commandments.  If you’re familiar with them, you’ll notice that the first four commandments deal with man’s obligations toward God.  Here are the relevant verses from Exodus, chapter 20:

And God spoke all these words:

Note that the Creator is mindful that His creatures are going to worship something — he provides His law to instruct fallible people to maintain their focus and worship Him exclusively.  We also see in the law the practical rationale and the benefits of obeying the law of God.

The object of our worship

If we’re in agreement that man is a worshipping creature, then we must next determine what is or should be worthy of our reverence and our obedience.  A common mistake I’ve observed — and made in the past myself — is to try to encourage people to worship God without establishing context.  If God is one deity among many, he might as well be another brand of toothpaste on the drugstore shelf — and deserving of about the same loyalty.

Similarly, beware of slapping a label on some collection of personal preferences and calling it “God.”  That’s like your mom making a gingerbread man and calling it by your name.

It’s much easier to worship God when you know Him, and it is easier to bow before His majesty when you’re convinced of His supremacy.  Otherwise, I’d offer what I imagine to be a helpful suggestion, to which you’d reply with a shrug and a “Says you.”

Let me introduce you

If the God of the Bible is the one true and living God, He would have an absolute claim on our devotion and our worship.  The Bible speaks of God as the creator of everything that exists.  The creator of a thing is usually the owner of that thing, and the owner is uniquely qualified to evaluate — to judge — his work.  Similarly, if the owner doesn’t share ownership, he alone is sovereign over his creation.  This means his preferences and his will are law.

And if the Creator’s character and reputation are of perfect love and perfect justice, He would be correct and consistent to punish wrongdoing.

So in the pages of scripture we meet God, the creator of the cosmos — one God in three persons — who is infinite, personal, loving and just.  He made mankind in His image and likeness and granted them the freedom to love Him or not, obey Him or not. Our original parents, Adam and Eve, violated God’s one and only rule, corrupting them and the whole of God’s creation.  Every woe in c=the world traces its origin to this tragic exercise of free will.

Rather than abandoning these rebels to their just punishment, God instead set in motion a plan of redemption.  First he called out a people to Himself.  He made a covenant with them to be their God forever.  He gave them His law to instruct them, but also to prove that not one of them was good enough often enough to earn God’s favor. The standard is 100% perfection.  No human being could pull that off.

The plan culminated in God’s taking on human flesh and living a perfect sin-free life, fulfilling the law of God, and ultimately satisfying the claims of divine justice.  Jesus, the only son of God, was fully God and fully human — and only He was able to make a satisfactory payment in full for the sins of all mankind by dying in our place — a substitutionary atonement.

Spoiler alert

The story of this God is remarkable, but it gets even better.  Because three days after Jesus died on the cross, he resurrected and appeared to hundreds of witnesses.  Since death was a consequence of rebellion against God, Jesus’ resurrection demonstrates his mastery over death – and proves his authority to forgive sins.  That is a God who is worthy of our worship!

In early 21st century America, we like stories about rascals who beat the system.  We may shake our heads and marvel at their gall, but we don’t necessarily admire them or want to be like them.  Unlike these types of characters, Jesus submitted to the will of God the Father, and endured the humiliation, the torture, the agony and the separation from God that our sins deserved.  He went through it, rather than around it — and all because He loves you.  Now I want to encourage you to worship Him.

Happy Easter!  He is risen!

So how about you?  In what ways are you in need of a spiritual tune up?  How do you intend to worship God this Easter?  Add your comments below.

Getting an A in tuning is just the start — not the main point.

“Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” -Ephesians 2:7-9 (The Message)

One of the guys in my small group asked the following question: “If Christians are saved by grace, why do we have God’s law?”  An excellent question.

The Law as a Tuner
I would compare the purpose of God’s law — the Ten Commandments and all the other moral teachings of scripture —  to tuning an instrument.

Tuning ensures that the sound of the instrument will be pleasing.  However, an instrument that is in relative tune — that is, one whose pitches are correctly spaced —  will sound good played by itself, but it will not necessarily sound good played with another instrument.  One string out of tune on one instrument can mar an entire performance.  For this reason, all the instruments in the band must be tuned to the same absolute pitch — an objective standard.

In this same sense, God’s moral law provides an objective reference point for determining how we relate to Him and how we deal with each other.

Ear training
Over time, a musician trains his ear.  He learns to recognize specific pitches, harmonic intervals, types of chords and chord progressions.  Likewise, as you grow in your relationship with God, you’ll become better able to distinguish right from wrong and to hear His voice.

A Little Help From My Friends
Even if you have perfect pitch it can be difficult to tune your instrument in a noisy environment.  Instruments get out of tune during a performance — even in the middle of a song.  That’s why even professionals use electronic tuners .  Whether they choose strobe, stomp box, smart phone apps or clip-on tuners (see photo) you see them everywhere. And audiences and musicians are the better for it.  In a high-pressure situation, or a noisy venue, the ability to determine whether or not your instrument is in tune is most valuable.

And let’s agree that life is noisy, so being able to weigh our motives, decisions and actions against God’s standard can help us calibrate our lives.

The Limits of Technology — And The Law
Tuning isn’t a one-time thing.  Recognizing you’re out of tune doesn’t correct your errant pitches.  The musician has to make those adjustments himself to be able to play in tune.  And some instruments are more prone to stay in tune than others, so a good musician will check his tuning and make fine adjustments as needed over the course of a performance.

Similarly, the law doesn’t fix what’s wrong — it merely shows us where we’re out of line.  It’s up to us to seek God’s help and bring the sour notes of our lives into conformance with His standard as often as it takes.

Buying a Stairway to Heaven?
So what’s the goal?  Is it possible to get to Heaven by being a good boy and obeying the moral law? Nope.  Following the law won’t put you in a relationship with God any more than being great at tuning will secure you a spot on the tour bus.

Tuning is an important aspect of musicianship — as obeying God is an important part of living as his follower — but music is much more than being in tune.  It’s about the relationship of melody, harmony and rhythm, and the expressiveness among the players in the band.  Spiritually speaking, God has made a place in His family band for you through the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus if you’ll accept this gift.  Relationship is greater than rules.  Grace is greater than law.

One more thing: In the band I’m in, everybody has his own tuner.  When something’s out, we all know it, but each band member tunes his own instrument.

So how about you?  In what ways are you imprisoned by rules and rule-keeping?  What do you need to help you sort this out and get free?  Add your comments below.