What passes the test as a significant personal or society’s value? Let’s see the conclusion that we reach through this examination of the differences between personal and society’s values. The values that we are to uphold personally and as a society must be true values. They are not merely electives from a selection of options. They are not simply what we “feel” are important. They must indeed be important. The notion of “what is right for me, may not be right for another” has no place where what is being considered is a true value that is worth upholding. It is not a mere coincidence that the term “values” is used in connection with these. They are indeed valuable to us individually and, collectively, as a society.

Personal and society’s values are not to be treated with a callous attitude. What we conceive of as values must indeed be values that hold significance and are profitable to us and to the society simultaneously. Therefore, they must be upheld with positive and productive passion.

Although selfish interests are often considered to be values by some people, they are not. The description “personal values” is somewhat of a misnomer because the “personal” values of individuals within a society play out to the benefit or detriment of that society. A true value, therefore, whether personal or society’s, must hold true significance and be equally beneficial to every person, in every society. This, briefly, is the yard stick by which true values are to be measured.

Many books and websites list the values that a person or a society can have. The lists are long. For personal values, the list would include things like: religion, truth, integrity, relationships, having a family, friendships, community service, hospitality, loving, caring, freedom, independence, achievement, education, wealth, creativity, personal challenge, personal growth, pleasure, adventure, authority, altruism, privacy, honesty, purity, competence, intellectual status, reputation, accountability, patriotism, democracy, security, self-respect, knowledge, wisdom, fame, and so on.

Society’s values are typically the communal versions of the listed personal values with the added twist of being collectively upheld by members of the society. A society’s values generally go beyond one person’s scope of interest and are of a collaborative nature.

In the case of a society’s list of values, the ones that appear to be more personal in nature such as religion, relationships, having a family, friendships, loving, fame, and so on may drop down on the list. Conversely, the more communal-type values may rise to the top of the list. These values may include: human rights, equal opportunity, public accountability, community involvement, public service, freedom, justice, collective achievements, productivity, economic viability, authority, altruism, privacy, hospitality, competence, leaders’ integrity, intellectual status, community’s reputation, patriotism, democracy, environmental stewardship, security, respect for citizens, education, and so on.

In today’s experience, one of the main differences between a society’s and personal values is the degree of commitment to upholding them. It is challenging enough for a person to consistently live according to his or her values. However, a person will not ordinarily contend with him or herself as to what values to hold to. This is not the case with a society. Within the society, there is often the disagreement about the values deemed to be the right values for the individual or members of the society to live by. As many as there are different members, so varied are the differing opinions as to what values to uphold and guard. If a value equally serves the self-interests of all members of the society, you can be sure that it will be upheld. Even then, it is almost impossible for all members of a society to consistently and completely agree, and live according to any chosen set of values.

In the end, not all of the usually listed values are of any lasting significance to anyone or any society. Not all of the values that are proposed today really count when all is said and done. Irrespective of what the conceived set of personal, group, or society’s values are, they are meaningful and useful only if they are governed by the following:

- An understanding of the moral obligations and ultimate accountability to God

- A practical expression of true love for God, and a commitment to understanding and obeying His will

- The exercise of wisdom

- The acknowledgement of the significance of other people

- An attitude of respect for the rights, interests, and safety of other people

- A determination to be helpful

- An attitude of contentment irrespective of the circumstances

- An active interest in the maintenance of a peaceful co-existence

- A willingness to serve

- The stamina to remain loving, caring and diligent

- Steadfast hope

It is possible that I have missed some of the ideals that may come to mind. Nevertheless, these suggested governing ideals constitute a good place to begin for every person and every society. After the first three, the rest of the listed ideals are essentially redundant because they usually fall in place where the first three are strongly rooted. The first two ideals are often ignored or even ridiculed as being nonsense by many people. However, as I have pointed out elsewhere in my writings: “Irrespective of any vehement defense of human opinions, speculations and presuppositions, truth (wisdom) from God never changes and it will surely vindicate itself.”

What can be readily proven is this: The values that are of any significance to anyone or any society, those values that really count when all is said and done, are the values that God wants us to hold dear. It seems logical therefore that a commitment to understanding and obeying God’s will makes the most sense of anything that anyone offers us.