The Search for Values

Psalm 19

Our world is struggling with a lack of shared values, and important qualities like self-control, honesty, and modesty are often overlooked. This causes problems, sort of like a societal hangover from too much focus on personal freedom. Psalm 19 offers a wise answer to this problem. It speaks to current issues like caring for the environment, helping us to see them from a deeper perspective.

1. Real “moral values” need to be based on unchanging moral truths

Psalms tells us that moral values should be founded on universal truths, not just on what feels right to us individually. The Bible provides a constant standard of goodness that doesn’t change based on our feelings or preferences. It suggests that love alone isn’t enough to make moral choices – we need to base our actions on unchanging truths like the Ten Commandments, avoiding the confusion that comes with believing everything is relative.

2. Following God’s moral truths doesn’t control us; it sets us free

True freedom comes from following God’s moral truths, even though modern thinking often promotes self-focused values. Just like a bird is made to fly and a polar bear to live in the cold, we are made to live according to God’s commandments. Following His ways doesn’t hold us back, but frees us to become the best version of ourselves.

3. God’s laws, His moral truths, will become a burden unless they have the right place in your life

God’s laws show us our wrongdoings and our need to be made right, and they point us to Jesus, who makes us right with God. Christianity brings comfort from the pressure to be perfect because it teaches that we are accepted through faith in Jesus, who fulfilled the law for us. God’s laws aren’t there to make us earn His love, but to guide us in how to live a life that pleases Him, and in doing so, we experience His love more deeply.