Are moral values based on what's good and what's evil? Where are they derived from? Moral values are what tend to govern a person's behavior. One's morals may be derived from the society one lives in, one's government, one's religion or just what one chooses to believe is good for them. When I was younger, there was a saying that was popular, "If it feels good, do it."

When morals grow out of society and government, they just change over time as the morals of society and the laws of government change. The headlines of today are an example. People are lobbying all across the U.S. to change laws to allow people of the same sex to be married to one another. The notion of that happening forty years ago would have been laughable to most. Today the practice is gaining acceptance. It's said that this country was founded on a Judeo Christian system of legal government. While an element of that statement is true, our early society and its laws and moral values came from the Roman system of law, which was pretty much based on the Ten Commandments. Our system of laws has changed gradually over time with the people it governs and it is changing still.

I believe God supplies every person with a conscience that clearly demonstrates that we are born with common moral values. Look at little kids. Tell a kid in even their earliest years not to touch "the cookies" for example. They know enough about right and wrong to peek around a corner to make sure no one is looking before going ahead and taking what they want. Nobody teaches them that kind of behavior. It's built in. Once a spanking or some other type of discipline is administered to modify the kid's behavior, it's been confirmed that a wrong choice has been made. After that the kid can make correct choices based on his or here knowledge and previous experience. They can choose between forbidden and allowable, kindness or cruelty or generosity of selfishness. For whatever the reason, if someone chooses to do what is forbidden or morally wrong and they possess common moral values, their action usually produces feelings of guilt.

Re;Religiously held beliefs are another place where moral values derive from. Most religions have their own sets of moral codes by which to live. "You can do this, but you can't do that." Some will make a real show of what they believe. It's interesting though that religious codes of morality often vary quite a bit; one religious group says the homosexual lifestyle is forbidden, another says it's perfectly acceptable.

Where Christianity differs from religions is that it's more than a system of do's and don'ts. Instead, it's an active relationship with the living God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. The moral values of a true Christian will not change with time or society, nor with selfish instincts. A true Christian behaves in a godly way because they love God and want the lives that they live to please God. Jesus put Himself on earth and lived as a perfect example for us to follow. If we're not keeping His commandments, we have a love problem. We're loving a sin more than we love Him and we're not loving Him the way that he deserves. Jesus says in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." and in John 15:10 He says, "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

Patterning our lives after His is the best possible goal in this life and I believe also, how our lives are most valuable.