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Live By Your Values

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Your life is a direct result of the values that have fashioned it. And those values are critical, because they function as: a) Your anchor. Without values you are adrift. Any storm can take you under, any current can carry you places you do not want to go. But with godly values, you have an anchor that holds you steady, even when the weather gets nasty b) Your faithful friend. Your core values are your life-long companions. Abraham Lincoln said, 'When I lay down the reins of this administration I want to have one friend left, and that friend is inside myself' c) Your compass. Seasons change. Relationships change. Circumstances change. Goals change. But values do not! Like a compass, they always point toward the magnetic north. Is living this way easy? No! Doubters will discount you as foolish when you 'walk by faith.' People without family values will not understand your devotion to your family. The carnally minded will not understand your dedication to Christ. Those whose values are different from yours will try to convince you to follow them or lower your standards. Your values will be tested daily!

Speaking about the mid-life crisis that many people experience between the ages of 35-50, Dr James Dobson says, 'I believe mid-life crisis is more of a phenomenon of the wrong value system, than the age of the group in which it occurs. All of a sudden you realize that the ladder you have been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall.' Centering your life around Christ will keep that from happening to you!

Prayer
Heavenly Father – Keep me grounded and focused on you as the one who shapes my values and actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen