Personal Development: Values (Part 2) Read PSALM 119:1-32. Values drive behavior; a person will pursue what that person loves. Jesus said it best: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Values run far deeper and are far more important to a leaders effectiveness than any other single factor. One way we can discern what our own personal values are and should be is by listening to what others feel is most important-what really matters, what godly leaders should be committed to. For a helpful look at one great and godly mans values, listen to the words hes written as you read them. In Psalm 119:1-32, David, the man who pursued God with his whole heart, opens his values closet and lets us look inside. First, notice what David values morally (vv. 1-4). As you read verses 1-32, notice the frequent reference to Gods revealed moral will through terms such as word, law, statues, precepts and the like. These manifestations of Gods revealed will formed Davids value base. How, then, does a person form values that lead to sound moral leadership? Sample verses 11, 15 and 16 and discover Davids valueshaping process. The bottom line is that Davids deepest value was to honor and please God. Because doing so required that David discover what God finds pleasing and what honors him, David valued Gods Word. As a leader, face into the essential role your core values play in your personal, family, social and professional life. Contemplate this statement by one of historys all-time great leaders and ask yourself, Are the values David chose appropriate for me? If your answer to that question is yes, then pursue the value-molding process he summarized in verse 11. That one verse says more than many volumes can say about the foundation of godly values. Values and Who God Is Values drive actions. God is so aware of our hearts values that he rejects right behavior performed for the wrong reason. To see how much stake God puts in right values, read his unusual commentary on Israels religious practices. Isaiah recorded the words in Isaiah 1:10-13. Values and Who I Am Its crucial for a leader to act on core values, not convenient ones. Jonah provides us with an example of what were to avoid. His actions in the face of Gods direct call sound a stern warning to leaders today who know whats right, but do whats wrong. Turn to Jonah 4:1-11 for todays reading. Values and How They Work Values talk easy but sometimes live hard. Lamentations 3:19-26 provides a terrific picture of a leader guided by values. Read it along with the character profile of the prophet Jeremiah for some keen insights on how tough, but also how rewarding, it can be to live without compromising firmly held values. Values and What I Do Davids statements in Psalm 103:1-22 provide an appropriate summary to our two-week study on values. As you read through this amazing psalm, let the words invade your consciousness, energize your imagination and captivate your conscience. This Weeks Verse to Memorize: PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:54:48 +0000
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