Values: Godly Principles for Living

Values are the guiding principles of behaviour that determine what we treasure, how we decide and how we live. Our character is shaped by our values – or the lack of them. This article looks at where Godly values come from, how Satan attacks and distorts them, and how to build and hold values that last.

God's Values: The Foundation

The Ten Commandments embody God's values, especially respect for life, people and property. These derive from the character of God Himself and are clearly demonstrated in the lengths to which He went to redeem us (Jn 10:11,15,18). Jesus reinforced these values in His teaching and illustrated them in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32).

Understanding God's objectives and His means to achieve them is foundational to developing a sound set of values. He does not coerce people, nor should we. Love is His top priority and we are called to love in the same way. Here on earth Jesus modelled these principles for us. Values control your priorities, shape your direction and focus your energy, so don't compromise your Godly character, which, although built over time, trust can be destroyed in an instant through an unwise decision.

Our priority is to be God's Kingdom. The effort we put into building on the foundation stone of our salvation will reveal our focus, so determine to live by His values as a faithful servant, agent and citizen of the Kingdom (Mt 6:33; 1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Tim 2:20-22).

Reflect on the values that underpin your lifestyle

Satan's Attack on Our Values

Satan attacks key issues of life, challenging our values. He targeted Adam and Eve by questioning their need to obey God. He continues to target the significant pivotal areas such as marriage and the family, using conflict, lustful thoughts, personal rights and selfish desires as some of his weapons. Failing that, he attempts to seduce people by implying they cannot live up to God's standards, so why bother trying. He is not concerned if we are tempted to have more ice cream; he wants us to yield in the momentous areas that will have an eternal consequence.

The effect of sin is to distort our values, even to the extent of calling evil good and good evil (Isa 5:20). The continual degradation of society results from human failure to uphold God's standards, through both inability and unwillingness. The Bible warns of the tragedy of neglecting His principles for living (Prov 16:25; Rom 1:25,32). Another form of this distortion is using people and loving things; rather, we should love people and use things to bring them eternal blessing.

Satan attacks where it matters most – guard your marriage, family, and thoughts

Values for the Good of Society

Christian values as recorded in the Bible best promote the general welfare and preserve the domestic tranquillity of society when they are embraced. These values are not based on the changing moral codes of human rationale but on the highest authority – God, whose rules for living are for the benefit of all humanity. The Bible says we will be judged by them, so it is logical to endeavour to live by them (Jn 12:48). Whether God's rules or human ones, individuals are free to break them but must accept the consequences. Every law imposes one set of values on others, so in effect someone's values must reign supreme.

Do I passionately hold to His values?

The accusation is sometimes made of Christians trying to impose their values or their beliefs on others. As followers of Jesus Christ we are to share the gospel and how God has worked in our life, aware of the eternal regret and suffering of those who don't turn to Jesus (Mt 28:18-20; Mk 5:19, 16:15; Jn 5:40; Rev 20:15). When a Christian says, "You must be born again", they are not infringing on anyone's basic human rights but are speaking the truth that people must know, yet are free to accept or reject (Jn 3:7; Rom 10:14). If some see that effort as imposing our beliefs on them, that is a matter of their perception, not a reflection of reality, and we are still discharging our responsibility to warn the lost of their doom if they continue to live without knowing Jesus (Ezek 3:18-19).

Putting Godly Values into Practice

Begin each day by anchoring your values in Scripture, letting the Word renew your mind and test your priorities against the Kingdom (Rom 12:2). Audit where your treasure and your time actually go, because the heart follows the treasure (Mt 6:21). Guard the pivotal areas Satan targets – your marriage and family, your thought life and your personal rights – demolishing arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5).

Practise valuing people above things, communicating appreciation for who they are and not merely what they can do (Rom 12:10; Phil 2:3-4). Cultivate integrity by doing right even when no one is watching (Prov 10:9), and keep short accounts with God through honest confession (1 Jn 1:9). Finally, share the truth in love (Eph 4:15), warning the lost as a faithful watchman while leaving the response with God.

Renew your mind in the Word, value people above things, and walk in integrity

Biblical Examples of Godly Values

Joseph valued purity and faithfulness to God above advancement, fleeing Potiphar's wife even though it cost him his position and his freedom (Gen 39:7-12). No one would have known and no one would have blamed him, yet he asked how he could do such a wicked thing and sin against God (Gen 39:9). He measured the moment against God's standards, not against opportunity, and in God's time the prison gave way to the palace (Gen 41:41-43).

Daniel resolved in advance not to defile himself (Dan 1:8), kept praying though it had been outlawed (Dan 6:10) and refused to compromise his worship even under threat of the fiery furnace (Dan 3:16-18). Whether facing the king's delicacies, the decree against prayer or the steadfast faith of his friends, he honoured God first and left the outcome with Him – and God honoured his faithfulness (Dan 1:17, 3:27, 6:22). His values were fixed before the test came, which is precisely why he stood when it did.

Jesus answered every temptation in the wilderness with "It is written" (Mt 4:1-11), demonstrating perfect alignment of His values with the Father's will (Jn 8:29). Though He was God's Son, He did not grasp at His own rights but emptied Himself, becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross (Phil 2:6-8). We are called to adopt the same mindset, valuing the Father's approval above all and seeking to please Him in everything (Phil 2:5; Col 1:10).

Fix your values before the test arrives

Reflection and Application

Write down your five most treasured priorities. Do they line up with seeking God's Kingdom first (Mt 6:33)?
Identify the pivotal area where the enemy most attacks your values, and memorise one Scripture as a defensive weapon (Ps 119:11).
This week, choose a person over a task: give someone your undivided time and attention as an expression of their worth to God (Phil 2:3-4).
Ask God for an opportunity to share His truth with someone who does not yet know Jesus, speaking graciously and making the most of every opening (Col 4:5-6).