I think one reason we’ve witnessed a rapid decline in morals in this country is because we’ve witnessed
an equally rapid decline in values. We have neglected to raise our children. We’ve watched them grow
up, but we’ve let other people raise them. We’ve allowed our media culture to raise them. I would love
to think that deep down inside most of our youth today there are some values that will carry them
through life. When I examine our culture, I can’t honestly say that is true. What happened?

We lost our footing. We stopped fighting for what is right and good and true. Our souls shrank and are
still shrinking. We have deliberately chosen to starve ourselves spiritually and the results are
devastating. If the story of the woman at the well could be re-enacted today, there would be a whole
crowd of people looking for living water and not knowing where to find it. Jesus told us to love our
neighbors as we love ourselves. Sadly, this has happened, only when we get through loving ourselves
there’s not much left to go around. We value so little.

I listen to the stories and realize that there are few people in our world who value the human body as a
gift from God to be cherished and guarded until marriage. Instead we celebrate teenage sex and extra
marital affairs. We have allowed our values concerning the body to become so twisted we chase what
feels good, fill our bodies with what tastes good, and fantasize with our eyes and our brains about
whatever seems right in the moment. We are no longer valuable in our own eyes, so anything goes. We
are cheap.

I look around and see very few families who value the home, much less what the home revolves around:
a right relationship with God that emanates from a right relationship between a husband and a wife. It’s
gone far beyond families not gathering for meals. We are at a place where families don’t gather at all.
We don’t worship. We don’t teach our kids truth. We just work, sleep, and play. Why do we work? For
money. We don’t work for provision. Most of our families are amply provided for. We work for money
to buy more stuff; more toys. It’s no wonder our lives don’t have any value! We don’t value anything
else either!

How do we recover from this? I’m tempted to argue a turnaround starts in the home, but that is not a
biblical perspective. The turnaround must start with the church! If the church will lift the Bible high, not
the culture, or the rights of individuals, or the opinions of the popular we will begin to see the pendulum
swing. If the church will value TRUTH more highly than anything else it offers, we will start to see
change. If the church will put Jesus in His rightful place as Lord and Master, I dare say transformation
will begin.

Transformation will not begin in the home. I would like to argue the loss of values began in the home.
That argument would sound something like this: somewhere along the line great grandpa allowed his
children to pass through his home with a few less values than his parents allowed for him...and the
tradition just continued. But I don’t think that’s true either. I believe the cheap lives we live today are a
product of the church. Whew! That’s hard to say!

When our focus became more about numbers and money and attracting the influential, we cheapened
ourselves. When the church cheapens truth by focusing on anything else, we pass that lesson onto the
family. The family will inevitably become cheap as well.

The trend continues until today where a Facebook post can alter a person’s ‘values’ or a compelling
movie can change the direction of a person’s life. We have kids educating kids on what is good and bad.
This can’t be a trend we want to continue much less champion. No, a movement for truth can’t start in
the home. Sadly, because of the church, many homes are just as confused as the children they produce.
The movement must start in the church and move to the homes. Then we will start to see a change in
our kids. But not until then.

Those of you who are being rescued by King Jesus are valuable. It’s as simple and profound as that. He
saw the image of His Dad in you and chose to offer His life so that it would be possible for you to gain
value, not lose it. No matter how invaluable you feel, these are the facts. Will you choose to believe
that? Then will you choose to act on it? Make a simple declaration. Something like this “I choose to
value what God values and find out what His values are! I choose to reconstruct my life around these
values.” There can literally be no end to a movement that is built on the truth of Christ. Will you come
with me?