Values


Have you ever worried about whether your children will share your values when they are adults? It's a common concern among parents. There are several ways to shape your children's values, but in this post today I'm going to share the number one way. 

The first and the best way to shape your kids' values is not to share them, but to live them!

That's right, LIVE your values. Live them all the way. Live them passionately.   An ounce of living is worth more than a pound of speech. 


I haven't done everything right as a parent, by far. Lots of people including me could write a blog series on all of my mistakes. However, my children know my values. Years ago I committed to some values (as spurred on by a college professor-which I took this value statement from because it was so perfect for me). 


My Personal Core Values

1. I value my marriage and family
Faithfulness and fidelity in marriage and family life are infinitely more important to me than any competing human loyalty.

2. I value people
Since God loves everyone and His heart throbs redemptively for all people of the world, regardless of their race, gender, culture, or situation in life, so should I.

3. I value the church
Since Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25), I should love it in spite of its imperfections, pray daily for its well-being, contribute my best to its mission and ministries, be willing to submit its authority, and live so its reputation in the world is positive. 

4. I value the Holy Spirit
The secret to effectiveness and victory in my Christian life is for me to live all of life sensitive and responsive to what the Holy Spirit is doing within the various contexts of my life.

5. I value my ministry
My ministry, to be effective, must be in keeping with my calling and gifts, must express itself as servanthood and stewardship, must be fundamentally interpersonal in nature, and made effective through the power of the Holy Spirit.

6. I value the Bible
The Holy Scriptures are uniquely inspired by God and completely trustworthy. They are essential to my life in Christ - my all-sufficient guide for faith and daily living.

7. I value my daily quiet time with God - 
Time spent with God -- getting to know Him, His Word, seeking His will, embracing His purposes, and listening to his voice -- is not wasted, but wisely invested time. It is essential for the effectiveness of my personal life and ministry.

By LIVING these values I am teaching my children and hopefully all those who are in my influence. My goal has always been to be the best leader I could possibly be, beginning with my role in the home first. That's the primary leadership position any of us have -- in our home, leading ourselves first, then extending out to others around us.  Our children watch us as we do all of this - in the home and outside of it. They judge for themselves whether something works, or not. I want them to see firsthand how valuable the contribution of a Godly female leader is. I want imagining a world without women taking their place in the home, in the Kingdom, in the marketplace to be an utter tragedy to them. 

Think about it...how many parents have told their kids stories about walking to school everyday in the snow, uphill, both ways? Has it really affected the kids values and caused them to be more grateful? No, they mostly just poke fun at their parents for giving command performances of these speeches ad nauseum. Stories can be powerful at times, but example much more so.  

Example isn't everything, it's the ONLY thing!

We can't rely on what we say in shaping our kids' values, because in reality things are more caught than taught.



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