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Much has been made lately about the issue of values.
Politicians have spoken eloquently of our need to return back to our traditional "family values."
Business and industry leaders talk much of "corporate values," and today many churches speak of "biblical values."
Everywhere it seems people (especially leaders), are preaching, teaching, and urging us to find and
live out our "core values."
So what are core values? Basically, they are those bedrock principles or
truths that we say are fundamental to our beliefs and practices. They are
the non-negotiable things we will not compromise on. It is our values that
inform our actions. In business, we would see them posted on the wall next
to a company's mission statement. Even God established his top ten values; I
think He called them 10 commandments. We won't use that term however,
because somehow to command something today implies absolutes and wanting to
cram something down someone's throat and that's not P.C.
In any case, there is much talk about what we say we believe. So here's my
question. If in fact our politicians, leaders of business and education,
and all of the people in our faith communities have such high and noble core
values, why is it our society and culture seems to be degenerating? Logic
would tell me that if, in fact, we have such large numbers of "good" people
striving for such high values, then wouldn't it seem to follow that for the
most part, things would be getting better?
Wouldn't our government be "for the people?" Wouldn't profit take a back
seat to social need? Wouldn't our schools be free of fear and students
achieving at high levels? And wouldn't our homes be places of peace and
stability?
Now I'm not naive and I realize this is a complicated issue, but I'd like to
throw out a possible reason. I don't think at the very core of who we are as
businesses, government agencies, yes even some churches, and as individuals
are the values we profess so much to believe. Instead of true values, is it
possible we are people of preferences and not values? We prefer things to
be a certain way, but when push comes to shove, we do not stand on preferences as we would if we truly owned them as a value.
Let me illustrate. I don't doubt that many of us think that, "putting others
first" wouldn't be a good value to have. But reality is most of us are just
plain selfish. We may say we value putting others first, but lets see what
happens when you're in rush hour traffic and that guy next to you is in the
lane that ends and wants to get in front of you. Or it's Christmas time and
the checkout line next to you opens. Surely at that moment we will respond
from our values right? Or, who cleans up the throw-up from the sick child in
your home? I don't hear many arguments over who gets to do that! You get the
idea.
We are a people of great intentions. Many of us, I believe, truly do want to
personify those truths that we say we hold so dear. Not many intentionally
set out to be nasty, irresponsible, low life's. No one wakes up and says,
"I'm going to destroy my family today." Or "I'm going to try and reek havoc
at my place of work." But it happens everyday.
Could it be that we have honed down our capacity to compartmentalize life so
well that our left hand doesn't realize (or care) what our right hand is doing?
Today we applaud people who can compartmentalize. We don't have to go very far in our political history to find an example of someone who, on
one hand, espoused certain values and, on the other, was living in direct contradiction. In the church, we call those people hypocrites and point
accusing fingers at people like that. Only problem, we all do it! We all say
one thing and do another. Everyday. And the better we get at it the least
likely it is to bother us.
So what is the solution? I think it starts with confession. Yes, we must be
willing to look in the mirror and recognize that the people we think we are
may not be living according to the truths and principles we say are fundamental to us.
We need to assess ourselves. Better yet, what if we found someplace quiet
and away from the distractions of the day, and allowed God enough time to actually speak to our
hearts. What if we actually read the Bible and dared to compare our lives and actions with the truths of Scripture?
What if we began an all out effort to integrate our lives: our home life, work life,
social lives, and our faith (whatever that is right now)?
Mr. Webster describes congruency this way: "Harmonious relation, state of
agreement, consistent with."
Trying to live a congruent life so that my actions would truly correspond with my "values" is probably one of the hardest things I've ever attempted
to do. (God knows I'm nowhere close yet.) I've realized that it takes much
grace from God and only can be done in His power at work in me. But I think
it is right and worth striving for. What about you? What does your mirror
tell you these days? Will this be the day of discontent for you?
How do your values measure up with your actions? And what are you going to do about it?
Just some
thoughts.
Blessings,
JK
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Great Sites
Dignified Death
By Becky
“…less than six months…” echoed in
our ears. I had heard these
words so many times in the years I’d worked in long term care. “…try to control the pain…” was
something I thought I knew a lot about. More
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Road Will Do!?
A comparative look at
Buddhism, Hinduism, New Age, Islam and Christianity. Do all religions lead
to the same God?
Real
Reality...Not for Whimps
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