Same world, different values
When we listen to the divergent views of politicians about the same problem, it is often hard to tell they are talking about the same thing. However, when we honestly look at our own beliefs and preferences, in comparison with that of opponents, we are guilty of the same one-sidedness, prejudice and subjectivity we see in politicians.
Personal beliefs and preferences usually have a history. Many of our values are deeply rooted in our early upbringing and experiences. If we identified with our parents, their values influence our own. Even dysfunctional parental behaviour, like addiction and abuse, is often copied when children grow up.
Intense and/or repeated experiences in adult life may also shape our beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. Pleasant encounters (like encouragement to develop our gifts) as well as unpleasant ones (like insults or humiliation) may stick for a lifetime. Different experiences shape different viewpoints. Can they change?
God knows that we learn and remember by repetition. He reserved one day per week for the kingdom of heaven, so we can check our views with God’s views.
The Ten Commandments given by God, as well as the Lord’s Prayer given by Jesus, start with God’s interests, and then proceed with human needs.
God wrote with his own finger the Ten Commandments in stone (Ex. 31:18, 34:1). These tablets were kept in the Ark of the Covenant. They are still stored somewhere, unchanged.
To help Israel remember the great deeds of God, he instituted seven annual feasts. To help the church remember how salvation was accomplished, Jesus gave the often-repeated Lord’s Supper.
God told Moses to write the first five books of the Bible. Then he used 39 other authors to write the rest of his word. For 3,000 years, Bible books were hand-copied. Since the 15th century, Bibles have been multiplied by printing. God preserved his book, so people could read it often.
When people study God’s word, it serves as a correction of their personal beliefs and preferences, acquired by experience. God knows that we easily make flawed conclusions based on personal experience, especially when we were emotionally hurt. His word gives us deeper and wider perspective, enabling us to remove the hurting “thorns.”
Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, praises the many positive influences of God’s word: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Values are only effective if we make them our own. To ensure we don’t acquire wrong values, we must test our beliefs and preferences regularly with God’s values in his book (2 Tim. 3:1417). It corrects vision — like eyeglasses.
Jacob Van Zyl of Lethbridge is a retired counsellor and the author of several faith-based books.