In the last post, we talked about our values - mainly how we know what they are. In this part, however, let's see how values affect our lives personally.
Now, it seems quite evident that our values would affect our actions (in the form of our ethics). That's what we talked about in the last post. But beyond that, what difference do values make? You see, our values are building blocks to something even larger: our name.
In order to understand this, we need to clarify what we mean by "our name". Obviously, my values won't change the fact that my name is Nathan. So this couldn't very well be "name" we're talking about.
Proverbs 22:1 states it this way: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold."
Still, while "Nathan" is a good name, this isn't the "good name" that Proverbs talks about. This good name is how we're known to others. It's what comes to mind when they think of you.
You can think of anyone in your life, and you will find that you have a concept in your mind of what that person is like. When we hear "Jesus", for example, we think "Savior, God, Christ". But when we think "Satan", we may think "Devil, sin, evil" or something along those lines.
The "name" of each individual on earth is determined by the values and ethics that they hold. Some have a good name, and others have a bad one - all grounded in their values and ethics.
When people hear your name, what do they think? Do they see you as a faithful Christian serving God, or just another church-goer?