No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. [Matthew 6:24 KJV]
I met Stan Holmes some years ago at the national prayer breakfast, which is hosted by the United States senators and Congress persons and attended by the president. From time to time, Stan would send me encouraging words, and as I opened my email this week, there was an email from Stan with the caption "CORE VALUES".
Wow!! This is good for body, mind and soul, not only for me but others. Sometimes God sends a word to you from another source, and, like the newspaper boy, does not write the news but sells the news!
This week I share what Stan sent to me.
What are your core values?
Your values are what you build your life on. They are what undergird your decisions and your reactions. They cause you to do what you do and think the way you think. They impact the way you interpret the world around you and how you engage it.
I recently spent a Saturday afternoon with a group of very sharp young people. These young people have asked to be mentored by some successful and socially engaged entrepreneurs to help them plan a future of business involvement and public service. They are very impressive young men and women! I had been asked to bring comments and lead a discussion on "servant leadership". As part of that discussion, I stressed their need to know and understand certain things about themselves. I encouraged them to look internally and see who they are and what values they are living out. Once they understand who they are, then if they want to grow or develop in a certain area, they can work on that specific area.
I emphasized to them the importance of wrestling with at least these seven things:
1. Know who you are.
2. Know who you are not.
3. Know who you serve.
4. Know why you serve.
5. Know what you believe.
6. Know what you value.
7. Know what you will not do.
I believe that these questions help lead you to what your values are.
I also talked to these young people about being able to articulate their core values. I showed them a wonderful website at values.com. The values.com people have some beautiful and powerful videos connected to many good values. The problem is they list 100 values. I told the group that is like believing everything and nothing. We have to boil things down to some basic, overall values that we know and understand and live by.
So what are your core values?
It is a good question to spend some time on, but the real profit is to live out our values every day!
Love God: Faith in God/reverence for God and his creation - This is the core and foundation of life/focus on God/grow in faith.
Love and faith cannot be passive/love and faith must be alive and passionate.
Love others: Compassion/have Concern for others - "Others" are your neighbors. Love your family first and then love further and further out, passionately.
Discuss and model what is important/treat others the way you want to be treated - Protect and help the poor and oppressed and those without sufficient resources or care. Have a loving and sensitive heart for the needs of others. Assume the best about others.
Authenticity/have integrity/be sincere/be committed.
Live consistent with what you claim/admit failings/engage/be passionate.
Have courage/be bold - Stand up for what is right. Don't be passive. Be strong, but not unnecessarily aggressive.Face fear. Control passion and anger. Be willing to risk. Protect others.
Generosity/be a giver.
Lovingly help others with time and resources/hold your time and resources loosely.
Desire the best for others/give grace to others/share your life and love.
Gratitude/enjoy life/celebrate life/be hopeful - Let your life be marked by joy, gratitude, grace and hope. Look for the good. Engage life and be fully in. Don't be anxious or worried or overly negative
Honesty/be truthful - Speak truth lovingly. When you make a mistake, own it and correct it. Honor your word/keep your commitments.
Humility/let your life speak, not your mouth - Look out for the interests of others/don't focus on self/serve others. Seek and give forgiveness/be teachable and keep learning.
Moderation/keep things in balance - Don't drift to extremes in anything.Know your center and your core values and keep coming back to them.
Respect/show respect and be worthy of respect in the seen and unseen areas of life - Live honorably and honor others/earn respect, don't demand it.
Respect others regardless of economic status, nationality, religion, race, education, etc.
Responsibility/work hard/have a sense of duty.
Use your gifts and strengths for the good of loved ones and others/apply yourself.
Honor your commitments/don't be passive/be disciplined and diligent.
Make each day count/exude energy and passion for work and life.
Righteousness/be honorable/do the right thing - Choose the right thing even when it is difficult (most everyone knows what is right).Grieve over sin/hate nothing but sin and evil/celebrate goodness and beauty. Stand against evil/resist sin and evil in yourself first, then you can speak to others
Stewardship/be thrifty/be responsible with your resources - Live on less than you make/be grateful for what you have. Don't waste.Know what your resources are and make decisions about use.
Wisdom/seek wisdom/honor wisdom/pray for wisdom.
Seek to turn knowledge and experience into wisdom that deepens your life and the lives of people around you/examine your life so you can learn and grow.

oE-mail rubyanndarling@yahoo.com write to P.O. Box 19725 SS Nassau, Bahamas with your prayer requests, concerns or comments. God's blessings!

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