Have you ever wondered why poking the bottom of chocolate to see what’s inside is common all around the world? It’s candy! Are we so picky we can’t just eat it? It turns out while all candy looks great on the outside, it’s not all great on the inside. Sometimes, no matter how good it looks on the outside, we simply don’t want what comes with it. This is a metaphor.

Values in our lives are very similar. They sound great in theory, but living them out can be difficult. The result is we often claim values that we don’t really have. They are great for hanging on our walls and sound good on Facebook, but they don’t saturate our lives.

I would say I value financial stewardship; yet I buy stupid stuff that I’ll never use with regularity. Similarly, I would say I value family, and again, I can easily be challenged about the fact that I spent 150 nights away from home last year. If someone looked at my life objectively, they could easily say that I value selfishness over stewardship and family.

What values do you actually live out? Do your insides match your outsides? What challenges would be fair for you?