Discovering your core values

Lately every time we pick up the newspaper, listen to or watch news television the No. 1 story focuses on national and global economics. Some of the most compelling stories are not just what is happening, but what families are doing to fight back. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have always demanded innovation, perseverance and creative thinking. Now Americans are indulging less, sacrificing more and becoming more united through the challenges they face.

Jesus talked more about money than heaven and hell combined. He said, in Matthew 6:21, "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." In other words what you value, what you identify as treasure, the heart will naturally follow behind it. What you believe, what you value, what is in your heart, have a direct bearing on the decisions you make. The decisions you make create the life that you have. Jesus identifies here and elsewhere that the priorities of your spending are a direct reflection on your core values.

In the movie "Jerry McGuire," Cuba Gooding Jr. says four famous words: "Show me the money!" Show me the money and you'll see the priorities of man. Show me the money and you'll see what a woman values. Show me the money and you'll see what's important in the life of a family. Show me the money and you will see the heart.

This change in the economy has revealed to many across our great nation exactly what their core values are. In examining their values many have shifted they way they live. Spouses, children, neighbors and communities have all of a sudden become much more important. Simpler things have become richer. Walking together in the park has become more important than watching the latest movie. As resources for extravagances have diminished, conversations have lingered. Slowing down is much more fashionable.

The abundance of money is not a measure of a well-lived life any more than it is the sole indicator of God's blessing. During this unique time in our history, when our economic system is under extreme scrutiny, perhaps the assessment will translate to the foundation of the issue: our hearts.

Rob Hurtgen is a husband, father, minister and writer. Read more from him at www.robhurtgen.wordpress.com.