WHAT'S YOUR VALUE SYSTEM?

Every person has a value system of some kind. Your value system is that which determines what is really important in your life. As Christians we need to be careful not to judge things of importance by the same standards the world uses. The world would say such things as, "Go for the gusto!" or "Get all you can out of life" or "Life is short, live it to the fullest every day" and of course the old standby, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die." If you believe that this world and this life is all there is then I would say - "I guess you might as well go for all you can get - life is short, live it to the fullest."

However, if you believe, as I do, that there is something far greater, something far better, beyond this life maybe that is not the best philosophy to live by. The Bible clearly teaches us that it is not wise to live by such philosophies. It can not only be disastrous for this life but it will bring eternal disaster as well.

In I John 2:15-17 we read (I use the Living Bible to emphasis what is being said) "Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; for all these worldly things, these evil desires-the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance-these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself. And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever."

While this world belongs to God, (Psalm 24:1) after all He created it, the world-system is in the hands of the Devil. We read in Matthew 4:9 where Satan offered it to Christ in exchange for His worship. Christ did not argue that is wasn't Satan's to give.

As our passage in I John 2 tells us, we need to 'stop loving the world.' Consider this: when we love the world, we are giving our love to something that hates both us and our Savior. Consider these verses. John 15:18, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first." And John 7:7, "The world…hates Me because I testify that what it does is evil." The world hated Christ because He exposed its sin. If we live godly lives we too will expose the sin of the world just by default. That's why we are told, "…everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." II Timothy 3:12.

In summary, we as Christians must stop believing that this world has anything to offer. It doesn't! Here's a fact we all need to face. The only eternal thing you have is your soul. Everything else will pass away. Jesus put it this way: "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26.

This should give us a clue as to what is really important. This is absolutely nothing wrong with a big fancy car. There is nothing evil about living in a beautiful home. And it is not wrong to have a hefty bank account. There's nothing wrong with these things as long as you control them and they don't control you. What matters is: "What's important to you?" Take to heart what Christ had to say, "….store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20,21.

What's your value system?