Last night without keeping score we played an hilarious game of “I Should Have Known That.” Everyone knew the main ingredient in guacamole, but no one knew the name of the first white explorer to discover the Hawaiian Islands. I didn’t get any of the questions about pop music or movie directors, but I do know what is measured in becquerels. If nothing else, it revealed each player’s value system.
God’s VALUE system should be easier, yet it is often seen as an extreme; He is either too loving to send anyone to hell, or He carries a big stick and is always ready to use it for the slightest infraction. Sometimes it is more about choosing what is better. Here are just a few human options vs. God’s values (without Scripture references):
Slavery or death in wilderness — trust the Lord
Burnt offerings/sacrifices — obedience
Trust men — take refuge in the Lord
Gold, silver, spoil — God’s law, wisdom, a good name
Pride — humility
Lying — poverty
Laughter — sorrow for sin
Sin and eternal death — Loss of an eye or a limb
Doing whatever I want — avoid causing others to sin
God values human life more than birds. Jesus said in Matthew 10:29–31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
He also values human well-being above legalistic interpretations of His laws, especially those held so rigidly that those who value them would kill to defend their preferences:
Matthew 12:10–14. “And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?’ — so that they might accuse him. He said to them, ‘Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.’ Then he said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.”
Jesus also said that finding the kingdom of heaven is like finding one pearl of great value and selling everything else to have it. Acts 19:18–20 tells of those who became believers and they confessed their sinful way of life. “A number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.”
Paul went even farther, willing to risk his life to tell others about Jesus. He said, “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” He also said he would rather be with the Lord, but it was far better to stay on earth serving Him. He valued what God wanted over his preferences.
The NT values godliness over irreverent, silly myths, but also over bodily training even though we were bought with a price and God wants us to glorify Him with our body. God also tells us to give respect, honor, even money to whomever it is due, and we are to outdo one another in showing honor — this is what He values.
GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. Every day is filled with decisions about what is most important. As the quote above, leaving the choice to God works well, yet I often don’t know if He wants me to eat or do this or that, go here or there, wait or push on. To make my choices based on His will, I need to be daily in the Word of God because it reveals both my thoughts and intentions and His will and values. Not only that, I need to pay attention to His Spirit and to do what He reveals. How many times have I made a choice thinking it wasn’t important or didn’t matter to God what I did, only to later find out that I was wrong and merely doing what I wanted rather than what He values for me.