We know a man who has said many times, ?The value of something is whatever someone is willing to pay for it.? And while this may be true of things like used furniture and real estate, it seems to me there are other things that have inherent value outside of a dollar figure.
People have value because they live and breathe and were created in God?s image.
My integrity has value because it allows me to sleep well at night and reach out to others in unobstructed relationship.
Where do other things fall on the scale of worth? How much is honesty worth? How much do I value efficiency? (A great deal, it turns out?) How high a priority is innovation?
When we make decisions based on values, we can eliminate some second-guessing after the fact since we?ve articulated and were faithful to something valuable up front. If I value learning more than imagination, I will choose a profession commensurate with that value. Risks can be measured, anxiety reduced, and steps taken toward goals when foundational principles play into the decisions. The alternative is to make decisions based on emotions or circumstances, which will change constantly, or on pure logic, which is never as accessible as we think it is, given the presence of the first two options.
The value of something may indeed be what someone is willing to pay for it. If that?s the case, what are we willing to pay in exchange for our integrity? The price may be awfully, awfully, high.
What things or people in your life do you value? How has that been proven to you?
