Your life is full of both negotiables and non-negotiables. Your non-negotiables are your top priorities. We might call them your 'values.' They describe who you intend to be. They identify you. They are the passionate core philosophy that drives what you do. They are what help you make your life decisions. They uniquely define who you are and how you choose to live.
Sometimes two of your own values come into conflict with one another. We all have this HIERARCHY of values, in fact.
For instance, you probably value HONESTY. You probably also value your FAMILY. What happens when you lose your job and have absolutely no money coming in and have to think about what your five children are going to eat tomorrow night? A father is faced with that dilemma and he ends up going out and stealing some food so his family can eat. His value of FAMILY, in this case, trumps his value of HONESTY.
If you're a follower of Christ, hopefully you value PEOPLE WHO ARE LOST COMING TO CHRIST. You most likely also value PURITY. But what happens when your children end up making friends with and going over to spend time with other children/students who do drugs because they are not followers of Christ? Many times, our value of PURITY trumps the value of LOST PEOPLE In our lives. We don’t want our children hanging around with people who do drugs because it may negatively impact them, so we make them stay away from such people. Our value of PURITY, in this case, trumps our value of BEFRIENDING LOST PEOPLE.
During World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her family hid Jews from the Germans in their home. TRUTH was a value for her, but so was SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE. When the police came knocking on her door, which did she place on top? If she told the truth, the people she had hid would be drug into the street and killed. If she lied, they would likely live. She lied because her human life value was greater.
We all have that conflict.
Your personal core values are the ones that, when they come into conflict with each other, these values win. They are what you get passionate about.
So --- what are your personal core values? Do you know? Have you ever thought about it?
And be blessed.
2 comments:
I have given a good deal of thought to my own values, as well as, the people I respect and admire in my life.
I value honesty, truth, integrity, character, justice and love. I absolutely would lie to save an innocent person's life.
I don't believe I would lie to help an individual avoid facing the consequences of their actions, though...even if the law says that death is the punishment. I suppose I should say that that would be true IF it was in America ot another Democratic country...not some other countries that kill people for many things that they should go to jail for.
I was born in 1961, but sometimes, I wish I had been in my 20's during that time. During the time of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr....civil rights, strong convictions and ideals...the desire to make this country a better place. I don't see as much of that nowadays...except in the church. And thank God for that!
I find it terribly exciting to live in the information age, though. The world keeps growing smaller and smaller...I love that! We are all more alike than different in the world. I haven't had the privilege of travelling overseas, but I think this year may very well be my year for a missions trip...God is calling. :)
PK, I have a friend at work...one of his son's has a friend with little family life and does some things that my firend doesn't approve of. So....he invites this young man over to their place for home-cooked dinners and time with a family who loves each other. They haven't shut him out of their lives, but they include him in all of the ways he doesn't get to experience at his own home. I thought that that was a very good idea and quite thoughtful of him to do that. He's a good Dad.
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