What Are Your Values?

When I worked as a counselor at Tamassee-Salem High School, one of my responsibilities was to write and edit the Career Planning Guide that we gave students each year before course registration. The purpose of the book was to help students make career choices and provide information that would assist them in developing an academic program of study appropriate for their career. The very first step students were urged to take was to analyze themselves. A list of questions was provided to help them examine important factors in career selection. Some of the questions focused on areas of life bigger than careers. Those questions were important for Tamassee-Salem students thinking about their future, and they are also important for us to consider from time to time in our lives – especially during times of self-examination or self-analysis.

One of the questions asked “What are your values and beliefs?” Another inquired “What is most important to you in life?” (p.2, Career Planning Guide 2000-01). Those questions were asked because a person’s values should have a big influence on his/her career choice. No one should enter a career that conflicts with his major values. For instance, if you value human life, you would not consider being an abortion doctor. If you think preserving the environment is important, you would steer clear of working for companies producing noxious chemicals. What we value, what we think is most important, should influence everything we do in life.

Questions

What are your values? What do you think is most important in life? What should be your values? Does your life actually reflect your values?

Values in the World

When I served on the team interviewing teacher applicants, I always asked them what was most important to them. Some would say that God was most important; others would say family. Not one said getting the job he or she was interviewing for was the most important thing in his/her life. But what do people really think is important in life? What is most important is revealed by how they live their lives and what they focus on.

Most people focus on satisfying their physical needs – food, clothing, and shelter. Once those needs are met, then fulfilling fleshly desires and aims seems to take precedence. Pursuing money, and the four P’s - possessions, pleasure, power, and prestige - become the high value areas of life.

The apostle John warned about falling for these values.

1 John 2:15-16

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world.

Paul wrote to Timothy of the pitfalls of placing high value on pursuing money.

1 Timothy 6:9-10

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Christ told His disciples that having the wrong values will make a person unfruitful. If we focus on the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things, then what is really important will be choked out, and our lives will be filled with problems. [“and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)]

Christ further told the disciples:

Matthew 6:19, 21

19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;... 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Treasures are what we value. Our hearts and our lives are centered on those things we value, those things we treasure. The Savior of mankind tells us that money, possessions, power and prestige are fleeting. If your life is just about those things, you will suffer great difficulty. Recently, a lady at my bank told me about a billionaire who lost 30% of his portfolio of stocks on the great February 27 sell off. Can you even begin to imagine how it would feel to lose at least $300 million in one day? The money just vanished. It did not last at all.

True Values

What are the true values? What is really important in life? Christ pointed the way in this passage.

Matthew 6: 25-34

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The top priority, the top value in life is the Kingdom of God and becoming righteous as God is righteous. Not money, not pleasure, not power, not prestige, nor possessions.

Matthew 6:20

but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Christ told the disciples that instead of amassing money and earthly possessions, their focus should be on laying up treasures in heaven.

But how? Mark recorded Christ’s counsel to a rich young ruler in Mark 10.

Mark 10:21

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

In this world many want to make a million by the time they are 30. This rich young man had obviously achieved some such goal. Christ pointed out that his values were not right. He pointed out that the true values – what is really important in life - are to give to others and to follow Him. We amass real treasure when we give our earthly goods, when what is important to us is giving, not getting. How many set a goal of giving a million by age 30, instead of making a million by age 30? How many have giving as their life’s passion? I never heard one student tell me that giving a million was their life goal or value.

Christ has given us clear instructions and counsel on what the most important values are. We must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We must practice giving and follow Christ. When those things are first in our lives, we will be laying up treasures in heaven, treasures that can never be taken away.

As we examine ourselves at various times in life, we need to ask what our values really are. How are we spending our time; what are our goals and objectives? Are our lives reflecting God’s priorities, His values, what He thinks is important? Do we submit to Him and allow Him to put to use the talents He has given us for His purposes? Many times we may find that our stated values do not coincide with how we are living our lives. At those times, we find ourselves torn by internal conflict (cognitive dissonance). We are faced with a big question. “Will we change our behavior or will we change our values?” We can always know this truth. When our values are right and we are endeavoring to make sure that our lives truly reflect those right values, we will enjoy inner peace. Then, we can also know that we are laying up treasures in heaven and that we will receive a lasting and permanent reward.