Keep Your Values in Focus - Part 1

When values become an issue in the political arena, you can be sure the family, church, and schools have failed, either by choice or default. While values determine the fate of a family or nation, they coincidentally may be seldom practiced or nurtured. One way of explaining values is to speak of taking the high road or the low road throughout life.

Once when I went hunting with my father-in-law, to our dismay we discovered several dead deer along a country road. Someone had used a powerful spot light and rifle the night before to kill the deer just for fun. This senseless killing angered my father-in-law because it collided with his values.

What you value about life and God’s creation can measure what you value about yourself. Jesus gave this guideline for living, centered in the Golden Rule. "Do not do to others what would anger you, if the same were done to you." God loves all of creation enough to look forward to its redemption, so honor what God created and loves. 

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.

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.