What are values?
Do you have them? If so, do you know what your core values are?
These are questions that aren’t asked very often. When’s the last time someone asked you one of these questions? I bet it wasn’t very recently.
Today I’d like to explore the topic of values with you.
When you look up the word ‘value’ on Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions is as follows:
“something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable”
A value is something that is important to you, it’s something you desire and place worth in.
And you want to know the cool things about values? People can see what we value by how we live our lives.
Your values precede your lifestyle.
These are the undergirding beliefs for how you choose to live. The way you choose to live each day reveals what you think and believe. Even if you have different thoughts, what you actually choose to do reveals your core beliefs.
There are 10 major areas in which you should decide your values. Many people refer to these as your core values. These areas include: faith, family, friends, finances, fun, media, health, time, work, and personal growth.
Values in each area can look different for different people. But once you know what your values are, it is much easier to order your life. First we think, then we act. And if we don’t like our actions, then we ought to examine our thinking.
For example, if quality time together is one of your family values, then you’ll make the time in your busy schedule to spend it together. If staying out of debt is a financial value to you, then you’ll pay for things with cash or a debit card, or simply be sure you pay your credit card off each month.
Is this starting to make sense? The issue is, if you don’t know what you truly value, then you may end up living a life being tossed around by shifting winds and seasons. You might live your whole life and get to the end of it and realize that you didn’t invest in the areas that are truly most important to you.
Knowing your core values is truly doing yourself a favor. Knowing what you actually value helps you protect your time and invest in the people and things that truly matter to you.
So what about you? Do you know what’s most important to you? Do you take the time to cultivate that thing/person/dream?
As followers of Jesus, our values should be informed by what He says in His Word. So one great way to get started in this journey is to sit with the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to you what you value. Then you can ask if these values are in alignment with His heart for you.
You may find that there are things you say you value that you don’t live out right now. That’s normal. The point is to see clearly what your life shows you value. Then you can identity what you actaully value, and ask the Lord to help you practically align these areas with your values and His heart.
If our aim to follow Jesus, then what He thinks about how we live matters immensely! And the amazing thing is, that He will help us make a plan and give us the grace to carry it out.
Over the next couple of days, I invite you to take some time and ask yourself about your values in ten areas below. If you already know some of your core values, that’s great! Are you living in alignment with them? If not, now is a great time to invite the Lord in to show you what needs to change and how to change it.
Above all, I encourage you not to embark on this journey as a process of self-discovery or self-effort. Include the Lord in the process. He is the one who designed you, and he desires to be in close relationship with you as you determine your values and put plans in place to move towards them.
Top 10 Areas to Set Core Values:
- Faith
- Family
- Friends
- Finances
- Fun
- Media
- Health
- Time
- Work
- Personal growth
I’d love to hear how the process goes! Let me know below where you’re at in this journey.
Love & peace,
Sarah
Sarah Louise 