Value Check

Understanding Your Values

What do you value most? What are the things that you hold in high regard?

Is it your family, relationship, degrees, accomplishments, or maybe your possessions? Perhaps you value yourself the most. 

It's nothing wrong with placing value in any of these things. If you didn't value your family, relationship, or even yourself, we would need to have another conversation. The issue is when we value those things or anything above God. We make the most sacrifices for the things we value or love the most. And those dictate our decisions and have the potential to enslave us if we are not careful. (True freedom can only be found in God).

Let's take a look at wealth since it seems to be one of our generation's "it" topics. Wealth is good; creating generational wealth is even better, and something I pray my future husband and I will create for our future family.

But if you or I start to value that more than God, we become driven by that and ultimately restricted by it. Career decisions will be based on that goal, not how God directs us. 

Remarkable Results

There's a quote I pulled out of a book I recently read that reads,

"When a woman understands who she is and how God made her---when she pursues her destiny in light of how God created her to function---what she does will produce remarkable results." 

I don't know about you, but I want to produce remarkable results. I want my life to impact the lives of others. Results like that only happen when we value and follow God's plan for our lives and trust Him above all else. Often, we try to pursue our destiny in light of how we see things or how other people see us instead of God because we don't value Him as we should.

In Proverbs 31, we read about a woman who arguably has become the "standard" for Christian women. She has a lot of traits and habits that we should emulate, but I want to focus on one that I believe is foundational; "a woman who fears the Lord shall be praised."

The woman in Proverbs 31 feared the Lord. Fear in this passage does not mean she was afraid of God but that she had reverence for Him.

Reverence is defined as "deep respect for someone or something." Her reverence of God is an indicator of how much she valued Him. When we value God above all else, His will becomes a priority in every area of our lives. 

The Journey to Freedom

Remember, 2022 is the Year of Freedom. And you cannot free yourself. You need God. But until you value His sovereignty and the essence of who He is, you will be unable to surrender the things you are in bondage to and experience the freedom you need to move forward into your purpose.

As we continue on this journey of freedom, don't forget about the things you identified in your life holding you captive and slowing down God's movement in your life. Continue to pray over them, mediate and be intentional about recognizing when you fall victim to their hold. 

Journal prompt: If someone were to look at your life, what things would they say you value the most? How have these things been prioritized over God?

What’s Next

Each week I host a live prayer call, to get all details, connect with me in my Facebook group: Purpose Chasers.