The Foundation of Our Decisions

After much reflection this semester on why we make the decisions that we do, the most evident take away I had was, everyone’s decisions stem from a different foundation. This foundation may be the way we were raised (virtue ethics), the law set out for us (duty-based ethics), or the outcome of our actions (consequentialism). As a result of this foundation, we each can learn a lot about who we are and where we have come from.

Through understanding that my decisions are a reflection of virtue ethics, I have understood more of why I choose to do the things I do and why I feel guilty when making decisions that conflict with my values.  Recognizing this allowed me to look back on my upbringing, my family values, where Christ plays a role in my life, and who has influenced me in the past to shape the deep values that I have.

Matthew 5:17-48 allowed me to see myself deeper through the lenses of Christ and the behaviors of Jesus.  My whole life, I have focused on my inner self and the development of my heart through the growth of my family, the friendships I have formed, and the experiences I have had. Encounters I have with others, wrong decisions I make, consequences, victories, etc are all things that have made me who I am and have contributed to the heart I have now and the values I hold deeply. Like Jesus lives out, I follow rules not only because they are the law or they are the right things to do at a surface level, but also because they allow me to grow as a person and contribute to my whole self. I truly believe that if we each lived out this way, radical changes could be made to our society and vast amounts of people’s lives would be impacted.

As I grow up and the decisions I make become more and more crucial in my life and affect more than just me but my future family as well, I will strive to make my decisions on the values I hold and the truths I believe. It is easy to let our opinions waver as we get older and the stress of reality kicks in, but if I allow myself to focus on Matthew 5 and truly live out what Jesus longs for each of us, I believe that my decisions can stem from the right intentions. After recognizing how important my values have been to me growing up, I am eager and anxious to pass along these values to my children and family.

The decisions each of us make stem from a foundation- a foundation that can be created by our own experiences and beliefs or our external environment. I rest in the fact that my decisions stem from the foundation of Christ. That is virtue ethics to me: when Christ is at the center and all of our decisions flow from there. What is more comforting?