A Proper Sense of Values

November 20, 2018

Good Morning Fellow Travelers,

Read: 2 Chronicles 25:1-11


“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26


Are we like Amaziah, performing what is right in the sight of God but not with a perfect heart? As we often do when making a value decision, Amaziah said, “What about the one hundred talents of silver?” We are glad that he valued obedience to God more than money.

We make value decisions every day, and these should be based on what God esteems. He values honesty, simplicity, holiness, kindness, goodness, mercy, obedience, and humility. Do our choices reflect these qualities? We must not fear the cost of doing God’s will.

Do we cringe at the extra cost of honesty, obedience, and godliness? What about those dollars we will lose by conscientious honesty at tax time? Are we ready to trade our soul for a thousand dollars? Does our sense of values slide as the price climbs?

Would we reject going on a term of special service for God in order to keep a high-paying job even if Christ should ask it of us? Let’s be more simple. Would we give up a time of worship and fellowship with the family in order to put in some lucrative overtime at work? Would we trade our relationship with a spiritual church because we want to live in sin? Would we be willing to trade a loving relationship with our spouse for a reckless moment of unfaithfulness? People do these things all the time.

We might feel that we cannot afford to take God’s way. It might even seem like we are wasting God’s resources. But God still answers, “The Lord is able to give you much more than this. Send the one hundred thousand men home.”

– James Baer