There are certain things that I find I value now more than at any time in my life. These include peace of mind, harmony in purpose with those close to me, and the ability to worship. I didn’t start my life this way. I cannot recall these being my values when I was just married. I do not even recall two of them in the list a decade ago.
What makes the differences in the values that you hold precious? Does the way the world events continue to unfold around you reshape how you see life? One cannot help themselves when in comes to 9/11 – we are all different, even if we do not recognize the changes within. Do the potential scenes of war bring fear and sadness to your heart? It does mine! It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong, people’s lives on both sides are going to be destroyed or at least radically changed.
Does the ongoing uncertainty of work and financial stability cause you to hold on to certain things differently? At the very least I believe that each of us would admit that the fear of the future shapes our decisions today, especially when it comes to financial matters. We are slaves to our past decisions and victims of our desires unless we have help from beyond our self.
When you sleep at night how does the night go? Have you taken steps to ensure that your body will not remember? Have you tried to guard your soul so that no questions are asked that cannot be easily answered and put away? What value do you place on a full night of rest, recovery, and peace?
What if there was an easy solution? Madison Avenue would have us believe that money and material possessions will solve the problem. Wisdom suggests that “it’s better to be poor and direct than rich and crooked.” (Proverbs 28.6) Can you have both?
No. The choice is “Mercy, grace, and love” versus “I can do it on my on”. It’s your value, your choice, your life.
