Committed to Living Out God's Values

Take a moment to reflect upon the following question:

“If all constraints in your life were removed and you were provided with unlimited resources, how would you live your life differently?”

Our answer provides a list of value-based actions, that we often wish we were doing more of in our lives. There is a common perception that life restricts us from living out our values. The truth is our perception of life restricts us to living out our values only through certain actions.

Often, we perceive our lives through a finite lens, whereas as Christians, we should be perceiving our lives through the infinite lens of eternity.

Now, take a moment to reflect upon a different question:

“How will you live your eternal life in Heaven?”

It’s an interesting question as the Bible tells us that in Heaven there will be no pain or suffering. This means that our expressions of love through the values of compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness will no longer be needed. We will be left with the value of love expressed for all eternity in its purest form. We will also be surrounded by God and other believers, which will allow us to live out the value of relationship for all eternity.

The Bible describes the Kingdom of Heaven as both a present and future reality. As believers, our eternal future is secured through our faith in Jesus, therefore eternity has already begun. Death is merely a transition point to us living out our values in a different state of being.

God’s desire is to transform our hearts and minds to live out His values of relationship, love, compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. As God’s adopted children, we receive His outpouring of these values unconditionally. As His image bearers, we are called to display them through value-based actions so that others can come to relationship with Him too.

There are no constraints to living out God’s values in our lives, other than those we impose upon ourselves.

If we started living out God’s values of relationship, love, compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, what would our lives look like? How would we behave and treat people differently?

Our answers are worth pursuing. As we commit ourselves to living out God’s values through our actions, we will succeed, because those actions will also be aligned with God’s mission and values.

Reflection

Choose an area of your life and picture how you would respond and act differently if you started to live out God’s values more. What steps do you need to take to bring this picture into reality?

Prayer

Father God, help me to experience and appreciate the depths of your love, compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. As I continue to receive the outpouring of your love, transform my heart and soul, so that I may direct the overflow towards myself and others.

Affirmation

I am loved by God and called to display His love through compassion, grace, mercy, and forgiveness towards myself and others.

Action

Sometimes in life the person we struggle to display God’s values to the most is ourselves.

The next time you find yourself beating yourself up, being self-critical or overly judgemental, take a moment to pause and notice the thoughts you are having about yourself. Notice the feelings that these thoughts are generating. It could be anger, frustration, guilt, shame, or an entirely different emotion.

As you notice your thoughts and feelings, take a moment to reflect on how you would respond to a friend who was thinking or feeling the same way. Then display this same compassion, grace, and forgiveness towards yourself.

As we practice self-compassion towards ourselves, it becomes far easier and natural to display compassion towards others.