Do you think much about your values? Too often we value material things over the relationships in our lives. There may be many reasons for this as these items may possess personal, sentimental or monetary value.
I wonder what life would be like if important relationships possessed monetary value? How then would we live? How then would we treat ourselves, our relationships, our passions? Where would our focus be and what might we need and live without?
In so many ways we are a product of a capitalist society. The gift of this system offers us many choices that other governmental systems do not allow. The challenge of this system is the promise that owning material items will bring you peace, joy and happiness. Companies go to great lengths to entice you to buy a product that is not only the best, but one you cannot live without.
Unfortunately, for many, the focus and drive becomes more about the valuables and less about what is valued. We can buy convenience and comfort, but peace, joy and happiness are moments to enjoy, not moments you can own.
Trevor Schulte's wrote, â┚¬Å”Where you place your heart, your values do follow whether your treasure is sincere or completely hollow. Your values will cling to the foremost intention not to what you make it to be or what you attempt to mention. If you evaluate your heart’s true affection, you will discover your spiritual reflection. It is up to you to discover what is your love in life. Whether it be a time of joy or a lifetime of strife could only hope that you would put relationships first, because the material things you hold will not quench your thirst.â┚¬ÂÂ
Many of us live from paycheck to paycheck, allowing material things to consume our attention, seduce our desires and preoccupy our time.
Think about news stories that describe the ramifications of tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, or fires. The news teams work feverishly to provide the viewers with interviews of people standing in the rumble of a cherished home, reflecting on the massive loss they have just experienced. They often say, â┚¬Å”while we are devastated by the loss of our home, our family is safe. In the end that is all that mattersâ┚¬â€Âthe rest is just stuff and whether we can replace it or not, our family is safe and that is priceless.â┚¬ÂÂ
As I have witnessed the passing of people's lives, I have shared tender moments with mourners in deep grief. In those moments, relationships and the loss of a loved one are the most important treasures, not a lifestyle of collecting material things at the expense of the relationships we cherish.
Take a few moments and make a list of what you value. That list will, more than likely, reveal for you your affections and your affections will reflect your spiritual well-being. Dedicating some time to think what owns your actions may serve to reveal your heart's true affection.
With this information you may begin to realize that the affections of your heart can teach you a lot about your spiritual well-being, how you love and care for the world you touch and beyond that which you cannot see. If you like what you have discovered, continue to live in the fullness of your life, if not, make the necessary changes to love the life you live as you value and treasure those whom you hold as priceless.
