Value, Motive and Reason part 1

Over the course of the last few weeks and especially in the last few days spent with family, my mind and heart have meandered in and around the above few words. Not because they are words that hold any particular weight on their own, but because they are beginning to form what I believe could be my mid-life-mantra.

Each of us has thoughts and feelings that tend to motivate us for good or for ill? I might have said evil, but the circles of people that I hang with tend to shun evil people and things, so I chose the word ill so as to maintain my current social and religious posture and standing. Albeit evil tends to be the bane of this group, few can escape its influence.

Anyway, my thoughts on value, motive and reason have merged into the following stream of ideas.

Have you ever wondered about the power of value? Even at the least levels, value determines a great deal. Value determines relationships, value determines economic investments, value determines political decisions, value determines in many cases who lives and who dies.

Value is what causes families to bond and nations to war, or vice versa. Value is what advances causes and retards progress. Simply put, value is huge. Value could really be thought of as the fulcrum that all life pivots upon. And depending upon where one places the fulcrum, will determine the amount of load lifted or effort needed to lift the load.

Each and every day we determine our daily activities and direction, solely based upon value or the lack thereof. What one person decides has high value; another person determines it to be of little or no value. So what sets in motion a person’s value system?

That’s such a great question, I’ll ask it again. What sets in motion a person’s value system? If we can figure that one out, we can begin to determine a person’s motives, and from motives we’ll find pure reason.

Why is it that some people value one thing and others don’t? Why is it that some people reject wisdom and others don’t? It’s kind of funny when you think about it; a starving man has little need for a brand new BMW if he cannot redeem it for some food. In that case the BMW has no value except maybe to get the starving man closer to where the food is, if that’s even possible.

Don’t miss what I’m saying. Each of us comes to a place in our lives when we begin to sort out things that matter and things that don’t. At least that’s how we see it from a subjective point of view. But there again, it’s all about value. The older I get (and I’m only 49… that’s not very old) the less I care about the things I cared about when I was nineteen. That may seem trite and you may say “yeah so what?” But that’s my point.

Values or value tends to change as circumstances change. The person, who swears never to steal, yet suddenly finds they are starving and have no money, may change their value system about being a thief.

I’m not suggesting a value system that is relative, BUT I am saying that the American church has often operated in this manner, despite what God may say in His Word.

Consider if you will the idea that value intrinsically produces motive. And when motive is birthed, movement or change of some sort is set in motion, ergo the term locomotive. And once a body is set in motion, well you can just study that theory, but my observation is that it continues on, unless otherwise interrupted by an outside force.

Value, motive and reason; three very powerful forces so often over looked. More to come!