In the church planting class this past month we talked about values. Values come in different kinds, there are personal values, family values, and corporate values. A value is something on which you are willing to die. In other words if you list something as a value and hold true to it and someone else opposes that value you would have to quit or change the other person’s mind.

A value can be something conscious or unconscious/unwritten. An unwritten value might be honesty or integrity such as when you get too much change from the cashier at Walmart you give back the overage. You may not have that written down but you acted on a value. Now if you have that written down but you fail to return the money you have violated your values.

For instance in my own life one of my unwritten values is honesty in the area of not telling a lie. The fastest way to get on my bad side is to tell me a lie and try to pull one over on me. I am not saying I have never told a lie, but it is something I try not to do. Now you do not have to be brutal. For instance i know I’m overweight you don’t have to pound me with that one. It’s like the question a woman asks, “do these pants make me look fat. Nope the extra slice of pie makes you look fat.” Sorry.

But the bottom line is that values are something you act on. Let me take the lieing thing. My mother when I was growing up used to have me answer the phone and tell the caller she was not at home. I learned a lesson in that. I can truthfully say I never asked my girls to answer the phone and tell someone I was not at home or busy if I wasn’t.

The other thing was being able to tell people “no.” My mom used to tell me “maybe” all the time. Jesus said, “let your ‘no’ be ‘no’ and your ‘yes’ be ‘yes.” As I grew older I understood that maybe really meant no. This is one I have to practice more because I like to please people.

Now, I’m not dissin’ my mom. She had many great qualities. She made the best fried chicken in the world. But we learn from what we have experienced and if you don’t you are not real smart. I learned if I value honesty, then be honest with people. What are your values and how do you practice them. You see that is the important part. Being and Doing what you say you will be and do.

What are your values, personally, familially, corporately? They should make a difference.