VALUE BASED LIVING

VALUE BASED LIVING

By Rick Warren

Let your life be a stepping stone to Christ and not a

stumbling block. 1 Cor. 8:13 & 10:31

Everything you do is influenced by your values. Even if you've never actually sat down and made a list of what's important to you, your actions in life are largely determined by the values you hold. Every time you make a decision you're relying on your values to tell you what to do.

Unfortunately, some of the values you operate by are counter-productive to your success and a hindrance to your satisfaction in life. You see, many of the unconscious values you live by you didn't choose. They were imposed on you by parents, peers, and the culture around you. (Today, television is the #1 values shaper in our society.) You may be operating on incorrect information and values that don't stand up under pressure.

Just like the ‘set of the sail’ determines the direction of a sailboat, your values chart the course for your life. The questions are: In what direction are your values leading you? Are they going to deliver what you hope or will you eventually be disappointed?

Here's another fact about values: they cause a lot of your stress! Stress occurs when what you say you believe and what you actually do don't line up. For instance...

When you SAY "My family is important to me.”

             But you're always too busy or too tired to enjoy them.

When you SAY "I value my health."

             But you overwork, overeat, and never exercise.

When you SAY "I'm not materialistic."

             But you become so in debt you must worry constantly about finances.

When two of your values conflict, that's called a dilemma. A Gallup Survey recently revealed that incongruent values is the #1 cause of emotional tension among Americans. What's the solution?

1.    IDENTIFY WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE. "...We should choose to follow what is right. But first we must define what is good." Job 34:3-4 You need to come up with a personal definition of success - not someone else's definition, but your own. Remember this: Success is the feeling I get when I live out my values. It is not a destination. You can be successful at any stage of your life, based on your own personal values and goals. Begin by making a list of what you value most in life. Ask yourself "What is going to last!"

2.    BEGIN BY ELIMINATING THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY AREN'T IMPORTANT. "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how God's ways really satisfy you." Romans 12:2

© 2003 Purpose Driven Life. All rights reserved. Adapted from a column by Dr. Rick Warren