Why Is It Important to Define Core Values?
"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But, if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
" Daniel 3: 17-18 The three Hebrews boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) are great examples of what it means to live your core values.
Even under extreme pressure from the king to worship his idol God; living their core values was non-negotiable.
They were so committed to them that when they were threatened to be thrown in the fiery furnace because they wouldn't bow to the king's idol, they could not be dissuaded to give in.
They did not know whether they would be delivered from the fiery furnace or not, but without wavering they did not back down on what they valued.
What would you have done in this situation? Would you have bowed to the king's idol or would you have been faithful to your core values? The three Hebrew boys chose to be faithful to their core values.
Their core values became the filter through which they determined right from wrong, significant from insignificant and purpose from pleasing people.
Even though following their core values could potentially cost them their lives, they would not deny what they believed.
The king eventually had them thrown into the fiery furnace.
This fiery furnace was not a small conventional oven for cooking your dinner.
It was a huge industrial furnace that could have been used for baking bricks or smeltering metals.
The king was so enraged with anger against the Hebrew boys that he had the furnace turned up seven times more than normal.
"He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated" (Daniel 3:19).
The temperatures were hot enough to ensure that no one could survive the heat.
Your fiery furnace may be the pressures on your job, the persistent attacks against your marriage,the problems with training today's children or the perpetual lack of money in your bank account, but just as God rescued the three Hebrew boys He is able to deliver you from your fiery furnace.
When He delivers you, you will come out unharmed by the fire.
(Daniel 3:27) The Hebrew boys stood on what they valued and God rescued them from what looked like certain death in the fiery furnace.
I believe the greatest blessing was not their deliverance from the fiery furnace, but their willingness to die for what they valued the most.
They could have easily made excuses and bowed to the king's idol in order to save their lives.
They could have said we will bow down but not actually worship the idol, everyone else is bowing to it or we will do it this one time and God will forgive us.
But, instead of making a bunch of excuses they put their faith in action.
To become effective in your life's journey you need to identify and develop clear and concise core values.
Your core values are central in defining who you are, what you do and where you are going.
Once defined,they should guide you in every aspect of your life.
When you make a conscious decision to follow your core values you cannot be easily persuaded by anyone or anything to live against them.
It is these core values that determine what is really important to you as an individual.
The surprising thing is that if you ask most people what their core values are many would not be able to give you a solid answer.
Some would give you a list of values, but they would not be able to prioritize them.
They will give you a list that sounds spiritual, but they don't come close to living them.
I believe in order to live the vision that God has designed for you effectively; you must have a set of prioritized core values that guides your daily life.
Your core values should be: Clearly Stated - You should have a set of clearly written prioritized core values that guide your daily life.
Championing Your Purpose - Your core values should be in direct agreement with your God-given purpose.
Committed to Daily - You should make a solid commitment to live your values daily no matter what is currently happening in your life.
Consistently Followed - You are responsible for consistently living your core values on a daily basis.
Constantly Evaluated - You should constantly evaluate your values to make sure you don't need to reprioritize them, make any changes or adjustments.
You may ask, "How do I determine my core values?" First, you have to define what values are.
Values are deeply held beliefs that define what is right and fundamentally important to each of us.
They provide guidelines for your daily choices and actions.
Secondly, you must start with what God's Word says we should value.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
" (Galatians 5: 22-23) Thirdly, you need to pay attention to your life's experiences, prayer responses, family up- bringing and personal preferences.
Once you establish your core values and start living them watch your life begin to turn in a different direction.
Do not get frustrated and quit if it seems difficult, but keep praying, believing and living through the process.
"Strive for integrity - that means knowing your values in life and behaving in a way that is consistent with these values.
" Unknown
But, if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
" Daniel 3: 17-18 The three Hebrews boys (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) are great examples of what it means to live your core values.
Even under extreme pressure from the king to worship his idol God; living their core values was non-negotiable.
They were so committed to them that when they were threatened to be thrown in the fiery furnace because they wouldn't bow to the king's idol, they could not be dissuaded to give in.
They did not know whether they would be delivered from the fiery furnace or not, but without wavering they did not back down on what they valued.
What would you have done in this situation? Would you have bowed to the king's idol or would you have been faithful to your core values? The three Hebrew boys chose to be faithful to their core values.
Their core values became the filter through which they determined right from wrong, significant from insignificant and purpose from pleasing people.
Even though following their core values could potentially cost them their lives, they would not deny what they believed.
The king eventually had them thrown into the fiery furnace.
This fiery furnace was not a small conventional oven for cooking your dinner.
It was a huge industrial furnace that could have been used for baking bricks or smeltering metals.
The king was so enraged with anger against the Hebrew boys that he had the furnace turned up seven times more than normal.
"He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated" (Daniel 3:19).
The temperatures were hot enough to ensure that no one could survive the heat.
Your fiery furnace may be the pressures on your job, the persistent attacks against your marriage,the problems with training today's children or the perpetual lack of money in your bank account, but just as God rescued the three Hebrew boys He is able to deliver you from your fiery furnace.
When He delivers you, you will come out unharmed by the fire.
(Daniel 3:27) The Hebrew boys stood on what they valued and God rescued them from what looked like certain death in the fiery furnace.
I believe the greatest blessing was not their deliverance from the fiery furnace, but their willingness to die for what they valued the most.
They could have easily made excuses and bowed to the king's idol in order to save their lives.
They could have said we will bow down but not actually worship the idol, everyone else is bowing to it or we will do it this one time and God will forgive us.
But, instead of making a bunch of excuses they put their faith in action.
To become effective in your life's journey you need to identify and develop clear and concise core values.
Your core values are central in defining who you are, what you do and where you are going.
Once defined,they should guide you in every aspect of your life.
When you make a conscious decision to follow your core values you cannot be easily persuaded by anyone or anything to live against them.
It is these core values that determine what is really important to you as an individual.
The surprising thing is that if you ask most people what their core values are many would not be able to give you a solid answer.
Some would give you a list of values, but they would not be able to prioritize them.
They will give you a list that sounds spiritual, but they don't come close to living them.
I believe in order to live the vision that God has designed for you effectively; you must have a set of prioritized core values that guides your daily life.
Your core values should be: Clearly Stated - You should have a set of clearly written prioritized core values that guide your daily life.
Championing Your Purpose - Your core values should be in direct agreement with your God-given purpose.
Committed to Daily - You should make a solid commitment to live your values daily no matter what is currently happening in your life.
Consistently Followed - You are responsible for consistently living your core values on a daily basis.
Constantly Evaluated - You should constantly evaluate your values to make sure you don't need to reprioritize them, make any changes or adjustments.
You may ask, "How do I determine my core values?" First, you have to define what values are.
Values are deeply held beliefs that define what is right and fundamentally important to each of us.
They provide guidelines for your daily choices and actions.
Secondly, you must start with what God's Word says we should value.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
" (Galatians 5: 22-23) Thirdly, you need to pay attention to your life's experiences, prayer responses, family up- bringing and personal preferences.
Once you establish your core values and start living them watch your life begin to turn in a different direction.
Do not get frustrated and quit if it seems difficult, but keep praying, believing and living through the process.
"Strive for integrity - that means knowing your values in life and behaving in a way that is consistent with these values.
" Unknown
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