Teaching Values: Walk the Walk - Part 1

Values are learned from significant others like parents, relatives, and friends. In the textbook Psychiatry and Ethics, the author relates how self-scrutiny and self-examination along with honesty and sincerity were the wellsprings for helping him understand his behavior and beliefs. Values define your character and the rules you live by each day.

Values reside in your conscience and determine the multitude of choices you have to make wherever you are. If a cashier at a store mistakenly failed to charge you enough for your purchase, what would you do? Your first impulse might be to rejoice and say nothing. Would honestly win the battle?

Joseph Parker said, "Following the Golden Rule would reconcile business and labor, all political disputes and turbulence, all selfishness and greed." It's hard to believe this, even harder to practice. Jesus said "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Would you in good faith try this for just one day? God will extend you a blessing that will make a difference.  

The Foundation for our Values: Jesus' Commands - Part 3

In defining the Golden Rule someone sarcastically responded, "Do unto others before they do it to you." However, Jesus taught in Matthew 7:12, "In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." Galatians 5:13 follows with, "You’ve been given freedom to love and serve others. Remember, the whole Law can be summed up with ‘love others as you love yourself.’"

It's not uncommon even for Christians to disregard Jesus’ commands. The issue for so many could be that they find it impossible to love themselves because of self-contempt, guilt, or misunderstanding of how to appropriately love one' self.

Personal values define how you live or if the Golden Rule is applied to your daily life. In his book, The Methods of Ethics, Henry Sidgwick tells us, "Reason shows me that if my happiness is desirable and good, the equal happiness of any other person must also be equally desirable." God has given us wonderful guidelines for managing ourselves and our relationships.  

The Foundation for our Values: Jesus' Commands - Part 2

As the American political process transitions from a presidential campaign to developing a system of government based on different values, our country continues to change and endure. The basic primary focus will hopefully be directed toward the spiritual and physical health of each individual, which consequentially creates the potential for a strong family.

During my adolescent years, my dad worked two jobs, so I rarely talked to him. Sometimes I questioned what was driving him to work so hard. Although my dad wasn’t a great conversationalist, his values were what positively defined him as a person. Everyone knew he was honest and truthful, and thus trustworthy.

Values enlightened by the Holy Spirit become the guiding force for a productive, healthy life. God enables us to live within the boundaries of his love, which become the foundation for the values we live by.  Jesus said "If you love me, keep my commandments, for my commands are not grievous if you love me."  Can you see how Jesus’ commands are foundational to your values?  

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" tomorrow morning (Thursday, February 23) from 10:30-11:30 Central Standard Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, and FL, you may click on the KHCB link in the "About Me" section of this page.

The Foundation for our Values: Jesus' Commands - Part 1

Avoiding strife and conflict seems impossible when we live in a world of turmoil. Although I grew up in small farming communities, some people kept struggles and strife alive by dishing out their unhappiness upon others. Strife is usually embedded in discontent, indicating the absence of inner peace.

Inner peace and serenity are embedded in values that determine thoughts and behavior. Strife occurs when values are separated from Jesus’ command for us to love others as we love ourselves. When you love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, you have the ability to love yourself and others as sons and daughters of God.

Loving yourself as God intended makes it possible to love others as God's creations. Because Jesus died to save each person, we all are equal in that respect. Strife is defeated by inner peace which God provides, as Isaiah 26:3 indicates. "You (God) will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed (fixed) on you because he trusts in you." 

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You are invited to listen as I will be the guest on "Vital Issues in the Christian Home" this week on Thursday morning, February 23 from 10:30-11:30 Central Standard Time on KHCB radio at 105.7 FM in the Houston area. To stream it live or for a listing of sister stations in TX, OK, LA, and FL, you may click on the KHCB link in the "About Me" section of this page.

Establishing Your Values? Choose Wisely - Part 3

I was privileged to spend my adolescent years growing up in a small Texas town and county where alcoholic beverages were prohibited by law. However, most teenagers knew where to get bootlegged alcohol, and like today, these teens experimented with alcohol at some level. For two close friends, alcohol became a serious problem.

The big event of the week in this little Texas town was hanging out at Audrey's café on Saturday afternoons listening to music, drinking cokes, and eating the best hamburgers ever. Thirty years later a party was given to honor Audrey for being a good role model, a surrogate mother, and a good friend to these young people.

Jesus said we are to love God with our entire beings and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. How you apply these commandments to your daily life determines the kind of role model you are to others. God will bless you with perfect peace as you trust Christ Jesus completely and keep your mind tuned to his purposes for you.  

Establishing Your Values? Choose Wisely - Part 2

Personal values define your identity. When I worked at a child guidance clinic, my supervisor would ask a child if he or she thought of himself or herself as a good person. Most children would say they were a good boy or girl, while acknowledging some serious problems existed. If any children said they were bad, then those children were seen as a serious risk to themselves.

The church, God's word, and society teach values. What comes to your mind when you hear the word values? Values identify your ethics and morals. Most people think of values in a positive light, even when their behaviors contradict what they believe.

Your relationship with God determines how closely you live by the fundamental guidelines which Jesus laid down for you in Matthew 22:37. This verse challenges you to "Love the Lord God with all your soul, with all your heart, and with all your mind." God’s love for you empowers you to choose this awesome challenge for establishing personal values to live by each day.  

Establishing Your Values? Choose Wisely - Part 1

When I was a fourth grader, life on the farm presented significant problems. My mother had been sick with high blood pressure. Abundant rain ruined my father’s crops. I was thrown from a horse and broke my arm. My uncle who witnessed this event, took me to Dr. Collins, the only doctor in the community, who set my arm.

Discouragement will come to visit everyone. If permitted, discouragement can strengthen personal values by clarifying what’s important. Values reflect our personal identity and help us to stand firm when confronted with hardships. Discouragement can cause others to lose sight of what’s ultimately important and produce regrettable choices.

Discouragement for my dad resulted in a change that he believed would be good for the family. Galatians 6:9 offers encouragement. "And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we do not get discouraged and give up." The issue is to trust God to meet your needs. 

Focus on Your Values - Part 3

Big city life is a marked contrast to the seemingly simple life I knew as a child. Don't get the wrong idea. Stress and worries always were associated with farming, but there were the exciting days. At harvest time in late summer and fall, neighbors and family helped each other gather in crops.

These were the days before big combine machines replaced those neighbors and friends. While the men worked in the fields, women prepared lunch. I begged to stay home from school, but my dad insisted that I go to school because there wasn't much I could do as a young child.

Although these people were far from perfect, their values bonded them together. It isn't that the big city lacks values, but in the confines of a fast-paced, hurried life, values may become blurred. God’s word from Luke 10:27 helps to clarify where values should be anchored. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Do these words identify where your values begin and end? 

Focus on Your Values - Part 2

When I consider the small farming community where I lived as a child and compare it to my life now, it's pretty awesome to live in one of the largest cities in the U.S. Most of the people from that little community were good Christian people. Although it was a safe place to grow up, accidents happened. A close neighbor was killed when his tractor ran over him.

Things were not perfect. There were bullies in the school like in today's big city schools. Alcoholism was a problem in my parents' families. Three important entities that promoted spiritual and moral values were my home, a good school, and a little Baptist church. These have provided safeguards and guidelines for my entire life.

Values may become muddled when weaknesses are allowed to overpower our character strengths. It's tempting to become discouraged by weaknesses that tend to rise up and dominate. Romans 8:26 offers these words of reassurance. "The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses." Right now ask Christ Jesus to help you realize how he’s at work to accomplish this goal within you.  

Focus on Your Values - Part 1

I spent my elementary years of childhood growing up in a small farming community. My uncle owned a combination feed and grocery store there, in addition to being the postmaster and pharmacist. I can't remember crime being major concern, for safety and security seemed to be a given.

I cannot explain how I got this idea, except that human nature being as it is, it came naturally. When I was seven or eight, my cousin and I took some of my mother's hen eggs and sold them at my uncle's store. Sometime later I took a twenty-dollar bill from my mother's purse and hid it under our house. When my mom confronted me, I confessed and gave back her twenty dollars.

My mother confronted me because she loved me and what I did was wrong. Confronting weaknesses is a never-ending process. God’s word offers this challenge. "Continue to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. Remain patient, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith."  

Rising Above Character Weaknesses - Part 3

I was surprised when Saul, the first king of Israel, was featured in my college abnormal psychology text book. The way Saul is portrayed in the Bible, it’s understandable why he could be the subject for discussion in a psychology class at a state university.

Saul became so jealous of David that he tried to kill him. Initially Saul employed David to play the harp, which seemed to calm him when what were identified as evil spirits would take hold of him." This condition besieged Saul after the Spirit of the Lord departed him following his arrogant rejection of God's guidelines for his life.

Saul’s life doesn’t reflect complete failure. He forged together a nation out of twelve scattered tribes. He set up a state government and commanded an army that won major battles. He did, however, lose the battle for control over his weaknesses. Jesus said, "I have come to seek and save the lost," so our values should be anchored in Christ Jesus, who frees us from sin that besieges us. Great is God’s mercy!

Rising Above Character Weaknesses - Part 2

Although the U.S. presidential election is over, news organizations and others will continue searching for information to debunk the new president’s power to govern. False information becomes as powerful as truth when information services engage in a feeding frenzy to inundate consumers. This indicates that strengths and weaknesses exist in each person and will influence personal choices.

Pointing out weaknesses in others comes easier than owning them in ourselves. The most difficult course I took in graduate school required me to identify my weaknesses and share them with appropriate fellow classmates. I was surprised by the respect I gained for others who openly identified their weaknesses.

You’re aware of the Greek caption, “Know Thyself". 1 Corinthians 11:28 encourages believers to examine themselves before taking communion. It's important to recognize unconfessed sin and to resolve differences with others. This brings honor to Christ and the church for which he suffered and died. Consider this truth and take appropriate action.