As I’ve sought to live out the very things that I not only blog about, but that I talk about, act about, and definitely think about, this subject seemed to boomerang itself right back into my lap. And for good reason (no pun intended).
Here’s the more thought. Value, Motive and Reason are cyclical. That’s right, cyclical. Meaning that as each exists separately they are applied in all various and sundry manners and each produces some definite end result. Which may be all well and good, but what God has been stirring in my heart these last few days is this: the SUM IS GREATER THAN ITS INDIVIDUAL PARTS.
Now don’t flame me for being so simple minded and kind of delayed in my wow revelation on this matter. Because I know that many of you probably had had this epiphany in junior high math class, but for me I’ve typically been a slow learner (I live by the trial and error method most of the time). But once I get something it tends to stick.
When value exists regarding a matter, it produces a motive or a driving force that, at least in our minds, becomes a rational cause for doing or being (most often more doing than being), which is reason being lived out. And reason (in my opinion) is pure (not in a divine way per se) if it is associated with genuine belief in something (moral, amoral or immoral and even if it’s truth or a lie).
Now don’t miss this, because it’s short and sweet. As the process or cycle of this principle occurs, reason ultimately produces new values or increased value in something we do (mental or emotional sandbagging maybe). And whatever we do, with relative consistency IS a value. Some would say a core value. Which by the way, I think has been a much over used and over rated verbal nomenclature the church has thrown around in recent years (just like we did with mission and vision). Which in my mind further begs the question of our effectiveness if we now have to TELL people what they SHOULD value, and these are the people that have supposedly had an encounter with the living God, yet they don’t know or understand what He values?
All of which REALLY begs the question (for all of us) once again: WHO IS SHAPING our minds and hearts as to what we should VALUE? Because if we believe and buy into the wrong kerygma, our life cycle of development will tilt little by little to one direction or another, usually very unnoticeable at first, but ultimately by degree we will find ourselves way off plumb or level. Because reason begets deeper value, and value produces motive, which tends to drive us into rational practice or reason for doing or being, and being and doing (especially doing) equals what we value (core values = the things we do the most), which reproduces the cycle all over again.
And depending upon how much truth or error have been mixed into the propaganda (right or wrong) that we’ve been fed, will determine how plumb or level our lives will project into eternity.
If you are only off one degree when extrapolating a vector, ultimately the end width of that vector will be very large. If something rigid that is meant to be plumb as it projects upward is off by only a very small measure, when greater heights are reached the entire structure will be so far off plumb that gravity will utilize it’s off centeredness to raze the whole thing to the ground (oh how the mighty fall – the little foxes do spoil the vines).
So be careful who and what you listen to, because lots of messages can be appealing or simply palatable, but if they are off very much, the cycle of VALUE, MOTIVE and REASON will produce such a leaning tower of Pisa that eventually, at least in that particular area (if not all), it will collapse in a heap.
Value, Motive and Reason, I think they’re important. Do you?
Next week: Our direr need for biblical shims!
Smile God Loves You... Later!
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