Sunday, January 25, 2009

Goals, Values...and the Spirit of God

Hey, bored of TV, check this out:

http://www.ysmarko.com/?p=3953

It is usually fun to see what a bunch of people we don't know anything about thinking about stuff we also think about. Actually, it was a little fun just to write that sentence. Anyway, I think the thing that rings true for me in this domain is that while goals can (and should?) have a base in values, values can (and should?) have a base in the Holy Spirit. I find that even my values, or perhaps my expression of them, change (or develop?) over time. In other words, what is dearer to me today is not the same thing that was dear to me 20 years ago. I don't think that's a sloppy thing (though it could be, I suppose), rather a thing that is rooted and guided by the Spirit of God. He shows me and teaches me what to value. From that dynamic value-system, I orient my life in my understanding of who I am and in what I do...and plan to do (goals).

People and organizations have rotated on values and planning many times and, I suspect, will continue to do so. I find that the 'life' in values, though, is something that needs to be regularly fueled (energized, guided, updated, debunked, etc.) by the Spirit. Otherwise, even values become wooden and doctrinal-statement-ish.