Amy Smart, 1864

Prof. David Catterick

LING 429
5 November 2014
VALUES STATEMENT

I value a Christ-centered life

Christ is my source of strength through difficulties and gives me hope for spending
eternity with him. If I did not have a personal relationship with him, my life would be
meaningless. When people in my life fail me, he is still there and always will be. I make
decisions based on what his will for my life is. I know that my future is in his hands.
I value spiritual growth
There is always more I can learn about God. My life as a Christian would not be genuine
if I felt I had nothing new to learn. Through time spent alone with Him and seeing His
direction in my life, I am learning new things about Him every day. I am a different
person now than I was a year ago, because God is continually forming me into the person
He wants me to be.
I value generosity
Jesus freely came to earth in human form and gave his time, energy and ultimately his
life for me. Following his example, I give of what God has given me in order to help
others. My commitment to generosity can be seen in many ways, from giving up extra
time to myself to talk with a friend who is having a bad day, to giving of my financial
resources to support my sponsored children in developing countries. What God has given
me is not mine to keep for myself.
I value compassion
God showed incredible compassion to me when he sent Jesus to earth to pay the price of
my sin. It is only fitting that I show compassion to others as a result. God has given me a
desire and ability to do this. He has given me the ability to show compassion to those
both in the area which I live and all over the world. When I see that a friend is upset and
there is something I can do to help them, I act on that. I show compassion to people all
over the world through sponsoring and encouraging children living in poverty.

I value empathy
It is important for me to show people that I not only care about them when they are
having a hard time, but that I can understand the nature of their suffering on a deeper
level. Christ became human and dwelt among us, sharing in many sufferings that we
experience on this earth. He understands me when I cry out to him in times of suffering,
because he has actually experienced many forms of human sufferinghe is not far
removed from the situation. I form deeper connections with people when I have heard
them share part of their life story and we realize that we have gone through similar times
of suffering. It is very meaningful to me to be able to offer someone specific
encouragement when they are having a hard time with something.
I value friendship
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a loyal friend. God has blessed me with this
incredible gift. Proverbs 17:17 says a friend loves at all times. Investing in friendships
is not always easy, but when I persevere through challenging times in a friendship the
results are very rewarding. God often uses these deep friendships to encourage me in
times of difficulty.
I value loyalty
When I agree to do something I follow through. I know that God always keeps His
promises to His people and I follow His example. God has blessed me with the ability to
be an extremely loyal friend. I have friendships today that started when I was four years
old. To me, the best kind of friendship, the kind that models Gods love for all mankind,
is a loyal friendship.
I value encouragement
There are many verses in the Bible such as 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 13:11 and
Hebrews 3:13 where Christians are urged to encourage each other. Whenever I am able to
encourage someone, I am filled with joy. God has given me a gift of encouragement,
specifically through written words. I also feel strengthened when I receive an
encouraging word from someone else.
I value trust
As a Christian, trustworthiness is a core value I apply to every aspect of my life: work,
friendships, school, etc. The Ninth Commandment in Exodus speaks against lying (Ex.
20:16). Deep and meaningful friendships are not possible without a certain level of trust,
which is only possible if people are honest with each other. I know how it feels to have
this deep type of trust broken and will never do that to another person, whether they are
my friends, family, coworkers or students.
I value respect
In the Bible, Jesus says the two greatest commandments are to love God, and to love our
neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12: 28-32). Respecting the opinions of others, even if I do
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not agree with them, is one of the ways I honor this commandment. My friends, my
classmates and my students know that they are free to share their opinions with me
because I will listen and be respectful. This type of respect is essential for successful
professional and personal relationships.
I value personal excellence
Colossians 3:17 says whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus. This is why I do everything to the best of my abilitiesI know I
honor God most when I conduct myself in this way. Putting my best effort into every
assignment, relationship and task can be exhausting, but it is also very rewarding. I am
highly motivated to give my best in any situation.
I value perseverance
Romans 5:3-4 says we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering
produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Jesus suffered
greatly while he was on earth, and as his follower I expect the same. I do not expect to
come through a period of suffering in my life without struggling to keep going when I
feel like giving up. God is the one who gives me strength to have perseverance in the
midst of my sufferings. I value perseverance because when I trust in God to get me
through hard times in life, I know He will make me stronger because of it.