What's Valuable?

Value is every where. We live in a culture that places intrinsic as well as unspoken values upon almost everything. Cars, travel, people, items, electronic gadgets & gizmo's, experiences, grades, school, sports, trainers, food. This list is definitely not conclusive but each item here as a value.

Value is much different than cost.

Cost says "That SNICKERS bar will cost me $1.39"

Value communicates something is held to deserve; the importance or preciousness of something

What do you value?

There are items we'll pay cash money for because we either need it or feel we need it in our life. But we, as a society, are constantly placing value on everything. I value my marriage therefore I bust my butt to care for my wife and care for my marriage partner. I value my kids knowing their dad so I make sure I am around my kids & their life as must as I can be. I invest in them on many fronts.

We live in a culture where people value a variety of things;

- The female body is valued. Ever wonder why the NFL chose 'breast cancer' as the cause to raise awareness with an entire 4 weeks of games with athletes wearing pink?

- Finances are valued. American dream = get a good job to buy a good house to have a good life.

- Status is valued. FACEBOOK status updates, TWITTER feeds, Resume' bragging, higher education acceptance letters, etc.

- Athletes are valued. Multi-millionaire athletes who commit crimes & get reduced sentences for, yet the 'average' man commits the same crime and faces a much steeper penalty.

- Sexuality & sexuality exploration is valued. Check out the covers of the magazines at your local grocery store.

- Spirituality/Social action/Helping others. Look at the social justice initiatives that have BOOMED up in the last 5 years of the world. People, in a good way finally, have gone ga-ga over being "more aware". Too bad they should've been doing the ga-ga dance A LONG time ago. TOMS, Charity Water, One Days Wages are just to name a few.

I have to wrestle with what I value & place an importance on. If my values are misplaced then time, energies, monies could be wasted. But if certain values aren't kept important, things near & dear to me could fall apart. There is some cost involved when you value certain things. The cost doesn't always equate to monies. It could also be time, thought, energy.

The truth can be said as the opposite as well. If we de-value an item or area of life we won't put the same amount of cost or price tag on it. If something doesn't have a high value we don't stand for it, fight for it or speak value into it.

• The young girl who feels no value, sells her body. When will someone come along side her and speak value into her life?
• The parent who values their kid having a good education works 2 jobs to pay for private school & tutoring. When will that parent get a clue that their kid needs their parent around to invest in them?
• A young business person is trying to climb the corporate ladder running over & through people. When will an older business person call them out & show them another way?
• A couple is spending so much time working to bring in a dual income to have extra toys, homes, etc. They forget that if they downsize their life, their emotional & intimate side of their marriage could be so much healthier.

I want to be the man who fights for & values health. I want to be the man who chooses to spend the right amount of "cost" on the right things for myself & my family. I want my compass, my navigator, of what I should value to be directed by God's Spirit. I NEED His guidance with a lot of what I should value & I need to be smart so what I value reflects my heart and convictions.

The only way either of these things will happen is if I don't go through life blind. I need other people to help speak into my life, choices & direction so I don't over value, under value or mis-prioritize my "costs". I need to seek wisdom from those that have lived before me, gone through other experiences & have a sense of wisdom I don't.

I also can't get sucked into societies standards. I need to be ok living as an alien, a foreigner with different priorities & standards for what should be valued. I need to be ok asking tough questions even if I don't get clean cut answers.

I need to fight, and fight like a pissed off dog, for what should be valued....regardless of the cost.

Luke 9:23-25 is one more way I understand this