MORAL VALUES THAT COUNT IN LIFE

What are these moral values?

Human beings try to find the most desirable way to live their lives, making choices and constantly striving between the ideal and the actual. Sometimes experiencing pleasure and joy, and other times agony and suffering. When we encounter problems which arise from changes in environment or circumstances, we must always choose one, from various alternatives available. When these choices are made we must decide what kind of value criteria to adopt, without being pressurized or influenced by other people. Our choices must be those that bring about good in ourselves and other people’s lives as well.

The choices we make must be those based on moral values that create a good image, uprightness and integrity. However, this has to be our own individual personal choice on how to live an ideal life for the better. But at the same time we have to accept accountability to one another and also to God our Creator. If we are to bring change in society, it should not be done with evil intentions at heart in order to suppress and oppress other members of society. That will surely be injustice which can only cause division instead of unity.

Moral values are important for the well-being of any society that is looking for success and prosperity for its citizen. However, there are moral values that are considered appealing to certain cultures which may not be acceptable in other cultures and probably not in line with godly morals that God requires from those people who consider themselves to be Christians. For God’s moral values are totally different from those which ordinary humans consider to be normal.

From the true Christian perspective the Bible teaches us in Proverbs 14:34; “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” We also read from Proverbs 16:17; “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.” Only the true ways of a holy God will preserve a nation.

When people of any nation fear and honour God, that nation will enjoy peace, security and prosperity.This book is about what it means to be a Christian. That is why most of what am writing is geared toward painting that image that should reflect our upright moral values as Christian believers in Jesus Christ. It is good to make choices in life that will be for the betterment of our existence. That is why God challenges us as His people to choose between life and death.

God knows what is best for us, but He gives us the option of choosing. The reason being that God is a righteous Judge. He freely lets us pick what we think is most desirable and appropriate for us even though He knows what is best for us. God as the Creator lets us pick what we desire and consider appealing to our own own appetites. He created us with a free will and with that will in place, He will not force us to do anything that we have not made a choice for. God is not a dictator and therefore allows us to choose what we consider appeals to us.

We read from the Word of God written in the Bible in Deuteronomy 30:19-20; “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.”

Even though these words were spoken to the children of Israel as God’s own chosen people, yet He now speaks to those of us who claim to be or want to be Christians also. We have to make a choice between the good and the bad. Whichever one we choose, we will reap its benefits thereof. That is why the Bible says in Galatians 6:7-9; “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” This same thought about accountability taught by the apostle Paul in the above Scripture verses is also recorded for us to remember that there is accountability to God for all we do and say. We read Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

As mentioned at the beginning of this page, human beings try to find the most desirable way to live their lives, constantly making choices and striving between the ideal and the actual. In those choices, sometimes we experience pleasure and joy, and other times agony and suffering. Now the choices we make bring about the end results of life and then we are left wondering why the results are either in our favour as desired or against us which is the opposite of our desired goal. 

Some people who do not think the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the complete Word of of God will say those words you are quoting are in the Old Testament and they don’t apply to me and I don’t live under the Law. But they forget that Jesus came to fulfill the law, He did not come to take it away. Jesus said this in Matthew 5:17-18; “Think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

Every word and commandment in the whole Bible comes from God, whether it is in the Old Testament or in the New Testament. We are therefore advised to constantly decide what value criteria we adopt when we act, but not under compulsion or under pressure from other people’s influence. The company you have chosen to align yourself with in life also matter what sort of company of people it is.

The Word of God tells us in Psalms 1:5; "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he medidate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planrted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;

his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, not sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the unrighteous shall perish."

We all want what is best for us in life, but at whose expense? For in all the human value systems, we are often disappointed because we do not really get what we want in life. But the best aspect of life is found in God the Creator who offers us the best option in life. It is the option of making choices for the better and He leaves the ball in our court. He says make the first move and take a pick. And then He lets us know that the choice we make has its own end rewards too.

Now the word choose means to “select the best.” And that is what God expects us to do. Because in so much of life, our choices, not chance, are the determining factors in our destiny. What is best for us in life is not based on democracy as we often hear people claim when they want to have their own way. In some of the democratic systems of the world people may demand their constitutional rights to express what they want, but do they usually get those demands?

Human beings often may talk about things that in practice never come by. However, when we deal with God concerning our lives, we can be sure that if we choose His ways, there is always hope and better results for our lives. The Bible tells us that if we choose God’s way, we will have life with all of its fullness, but not death. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30; “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

But in the world systems, we encounter self-centered people who have no regard for the good and harmony of all in society who often overlook the organizations that are in place for that purpose of bringing harmony and stability into the social life. However, moral values are found to exist in every form of community life, though the contents of that moral value systems, have been found to be constantly altered by the processes and vicissitudes of time. In this sense, the history of mankind can be said to be a history of progress in moral character viewed as social norms.

Every person desires a secure and happy life directed toward daily progress and improvement-trying to make today happier than yesterday, tomorrow happier than today. For most people however, the actualities of life are hardly such as to fulfill their desires. How then can we make things better for everybody? The Way of life in which we ignore the customs and laws of society and live according to our selfish interests and desires is a life-style, in which we merely seek to satisfy our desires and interests at the expense of others, thereby causing them trouble and in general upsetting social life.

If we live this way, we will not be able to find serenity of mind and will be ignored by the world; in the end, we will not be able to attain a true state of happiness, even though we might be able temporarily to accomplish our immediate goals. The kind of life-style in which, while conforming to various social manners and laws, we rely only on our various personal powers, such as learning, intellect, physical strength, money, and political and social power, a way of life as commonly seen and when viewed externally, looks moral.

But the root of such a life-style is often, however, ultimately based on selfishness. Even if we achieve our goals through this way of life, that success will be only temporary and partial and will not endure; and therefore, we will not be able to achieve a true sense of security and happiness. And the way of life in which we rely on our human power only, forgetting the spirit of respect for man, concerned only with materialistic ideas, is therefore an imperfect way of life. We have to renounce these egoistic aspects of

ourselves and, remembering the spirit of self-examination, to become modest and tolerant, and to endeavor to build excellence of moral character. This is the way of life characterized by the practice of supreme moral thinking and the way of highest moral standard that we should adopt. I know that most people do not want to hear the truth because they believe they know it all and that no one can ever teach. They believe success comes from who you know, but not what you know.

Even people on this social media group believe that as well. That is why they would like to publicize Articles of people they know than what will actually transform people's lives. It requires morality to be successful in life for the better.