5. Creating ‘Value’ for others
Lets start with this today, a section from the bible where Jesus is speaking to his disciples. ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.’ John 15:12
So in this, the 5th of the most important things you need to know in life, Aseem suggests we should be the man who creates value for others. I think this is a really interesting idea for us Christian men to consider, as we are at polar opposites to the reasoning behind this concept.
In the article, the logic and reasoning is what we can sadly see all the time, create value for others then you will be in a strong financial position, people will admire you and you will be successful. The article essentially argues that we are one of two kinds of people, either buying into the value that is set for us by others or setting the value and getting rich!
Sadly, this is generally how things work in life, but the good news is as Christian men we have been shown something else, something that actually flips this model on it’s head.
The value people have has been set, it was set 2000 years ago when the author of life was nailed to tree as a timeless line in the sand that says ‘you are worth everything to me, I will take your place.’
Value set. Jesus is the way to eternal life, his body broken and pieced has made it possible, so our value is established as Gods son’s because of Jesus.
Yes, we live in a culture and time that Aseem is prescribing to that perpetuates a false sense of value, a value set by people whose false value is in the one they are trying to set…I know, what a mess.
But you get rich so its ok, right?
As Christian men we have the opportunity to stand against this stuff, not with hostile words or angry social media posts, but with LOVE. Not rainbows and doves and pictures of Jesus with a halo, but LOVE lived out in our daily lives and raw.
This model of creating value for others, so we can stay on the crest of the wave, is flawed in the Jesus model. The Jesus model says love someone not because they will love you back, help you stay positioned or make you rich, but love them because I (GOD) love them, like I love you.
There is no status and gain to be had, we are not loving someone to get ahead in life, instead we celebrate their value because Jesus has already set it on the cross.
Doesn’t matter if you like them or not, agree with them or not, if you are friends of enemies, the command is to LOVE.
It feels so cringey writing it, but what would the world look like with more people loving each other without any conditions and expectations?
Image Credit: Raphael Koh
