Values
Harvest
Values
In our last Rhythms, Sam wrote:
“In a year like this, the goal isn’t necessarily to add more “to-do’s” to our lives, but rather to align our lives with what God is already doing. When our schedules and habits do not align with our values, we will inevitably feel out of place.”
To kick off our new branch of RiverStone Rhythms, Conversation Starters, our class is spending the month on an Inventory of Self. We’re looking at our values, dreams, fears, lies, and beliefs. It may seem self-focused, and I guess it is. But like my old boss used to say, “Focus on you to get you out of the way.” We are doing a soul deep clean so that we are ready and willing to look at the God of the harvest and the fields that are white. Like Sam said, we aren’t pushing to add but aligning with our values.
Our values aren’t preferences or personality. They are the ways we reflect the character of God and express His love. They motivate us to be like Christ in ways He has written on our hearts. When is the last time you sat down and thought about what motivates your actions? What governs your direction in life? Obviously, God does. But what is it about God that you love? In what ways do you aspire to be like Christ? God is unchanging, yes. But He is also so far above and beyond our comprehension in majesty and glory. There’s no way for a finite mind to grasp all He is. Our values are some of the greatest gifts the Lord gives us. They act as doors to knowing His will for us.
I have a deep and consistent value for love. I want people to know they are loved and I am desperate for love in return. All You Need is Love by the Beatles sums up every sermon I could ever write or let my life bear witness to. In thinking about a Year of Harvest, love is going to fuel me every day. I want to love God and love the people He cares about. I want to grow in my love for the lost. I want to experience the love of God when prodigal children come home. As I pray into my part for this year, I know it’s going to be somehow within a boundary of love.
Play is also one of my core values. A Year of Harvest won’t just be a mushyfest of loving on people. It’s going to be complemented by a lot of dinner parties and days in the sun, going to the movies and maybe some trips. It will look like getting to know more of God’s delight and joy. It will be a year of connecting with people through some silly things and letting that lead them to God. Because He’s there with me in play. I sense Him in laughter and lively activity.
Core values are like ingredients. Put different ones together and you get different things. Do you know the ingredients that you have? Do you know what makes your heart come alive? Do you know the ways you reflect God to the world? Let’s get those questions answered so we can step into the fields confident in who the Lord has created us to be. He made you very good according to His Word. It’s time to step into alignment with Him.
—Savannah
Photo by Vlad Kutepov on Unsplash