Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 751 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
I am Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Two Opposing Worldviews – Wisdom Wednesday
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today is Day 751 of our trek, and it is Wisdom Wednesday. We continue this Wednesday to explore our trek of life through a Biblical Worldview. It is important as a Christ follower to interpret life through the lenses of a Biblical Worldview.
That is a view of the world that is aligned with what the Bible teaches us. We are exploring current issues that impact our world and society and comparing them through the lens of the Bible, instead of the lens of our society, culture, modern media, or social media.
I do not desire to tell you what to think, but teach you how to think so that you may be able to filter current issues and events through your Biblical Worldview. I may explore opposing views and challenge you to think. You may not always agree with my view, and that is okay. I am open to any comments that you may have on the subjects that we explore.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As more and more homes are decorated for Christmas, I enjoy looking at the beautiful homes. It reminds me that as part of my Biblical Worldview, we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world.
A biblical worldview begins with God in Genesis 1:1. A Biblical worldview is viewing the world, the beginning of the world, people in the world, the problems in the world, governments in the world, issues in the world, solutions for the problems in the world, and the future of the world – through God’s Word.
When you boil it all down there are only…
Two Opposing Worldviews
While there are really only two opposing worldviews, in today’s world, as it has been since the beginning of time, all of us have a mix of worldviews that make up our personal worldview. The key for the Christ-follower is to continually refine your worldview to be more and more in alignment with God’s Word. It is an unfortunate fact that many Christ-followers don’t know God’s Word well enough to have a strong Biblical Worldview.
A biblical worldview requires that you know what the Word of God teaches!
Everyone has a worldview whether they realize it or not. Your response to news about an abortion clinic is based on your worldview. Your response to school shootings is based on your worldview. Your response to evolution is based on your worldview. Your response to issues of sexuality is based on your worldview. Your response to issues of life and death is based on your worldview. Everyone has developed a “system of beliefs” and core values that they operate from. The goal is to be sure that this “system of beliefs” is based completely on the Word of God!
It is also an unfortunate fact that each of us mixes our own partiality based on our own weaknesses, biases, addictions, genetic makeup, and environment into our worldview.
This is even true of those who are in what we consider full-time ministries, such as pastors and priest. Even as Christ-followers if we do not have a good understanding of the entirety of God’s Word from the perspective of the authors and their culture, our worldview will be a hybrid between a humanistic worldview and a Biblical worldview. A pure Biblical worldview cannot be based upon any human system of beliefs and values.
The best way to define a worldview is “simply how you see the world.” If you were to put on a pair of glasses that had “blue lenses” everything you see would be “blue.” If you were to put on a pair of glasses that had “green lenses” everything you see would be “green.” There is an older phrase that is used when someone is not aware that their worldview is tinted which is “they see the world through their ‘rose colored’ glasses.”
The same is true for a worldview. In a Biblical worldview, everything you see should be viewed through the Word of God that is a Biblical lens. If you have a humanistic worldview, which puts man at the center of all things, or an atheistic worldview, one that does not include God at all, you will seek to develop an answer for every situation, issue, or problem which is centered on humans and does not include God.
For example, a humanistic or atheistic worldview does not allow for creation because man is the center of all things and there is no God. From their perspective, the world came to be out of naturalistic causes, not because God created it. If you are coming from a humanistic or atheistic worldview, you will do everything in your power to promote your view and discredit your opponent’s view.
The centerpiece of a Biblical worldview is God, while the centerpiece of a humanistic or atheistic worldview is nature and man. A Biblical worldview has its entire focus on God, while a humanistic or atheistic worldview does everything in its power to be sure God is not a part of the world.
One acknowledges God while the other believes there is no God. One believes that God created the universe, while the other believes that naturalistic causes brought our world into existence. One believes that God created man, while the other believes that man came into existence through millions of years of evolution. One believes that God has given us an absolute moral code of ethics, while the other believes that humans are to establish their own code of ethics.
One believes that choosing to disobey God’s Word, or sin, is man’s greatest problem, while the other believes that we are all basically born good, but due to negative influences, some people have become bad. One believes man’s greatest problem is solved spiritually, while the other believes that man’s problems are solved through government intervention, more education, technological developments or a variety of other ways.
One believes that every man and woman has a soul, while the other believes men and women do not have a soul. One believes that every man or woman has an eternal destiny, while the other believes that either life ends at death or they believe in some system of reincarnation. Unfortunately, both Christ-followers and many humanistic people have a mix of Biblical and Naturalistic worldviews.
Developing and maintaining a worldview has a far greater impact than you might initially think. For if you have a Biblical worldview, you will know how to respond to issues in the world. Having a Biblical worldview should give you confidence, answers to life’s problems, and hope for the future. If your worldview does not, then more refining is needed
As Christians we need to – we must – understand what the Bible has to teach in all areas of life. Without a biblical understanding, we have left ourselves open and vulnerable to adopting many of the false teaching and false systems of the world. Unless you know and understand the truth, anything sounds good and reasonable. Many a person has fallen for a lie, simply because they did not know the truth. We cannot abrogate this responsibility to fulltime paid pastors, elders, or priest to teach us what to believe. They may be helpful, but it is our individual responsibility to study and know what God’s precepts are so we can filter all input through a clear Biblical lens, not the opaque lens of a naturalistic worldview.
If you do not know what the Word of God says about the prevalent issues that we face today, and why they are right or wrong, you are not operating with a Biblical worldview. You are simply operating in a “default mode” and vulnerable to believing what the majority of people are saying.
It is only when we understand a Biblical worldview that we can best understand life on this earth and our role in the world. It is a Biblical worldview that answers the questions…Where did we come from? Why are we here? What is our problem? What is the solution? And where are we going?
It is only when we have developed a Biblical worldview that we can properly understand how God relates to our vocation, our family, our neighbors, our material possession, our nation, and indeed the world as we fulfill His kingdom.
Understanding God’s design for our world and building a biblical system of beliefs (worldview) will result in more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life.
May our worldview be as King David wrote in Psalm 17:3-5.
You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
I am determined not to sin in what I say.
I have followed your commands,
which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
My steps have stayed on your path;
I have not wavered from following you.
Next week for Wisdom Wednesday we explore the topic of creation vs. evolution through a Biblical Worldview. Each week we will choose hot topics that are prevalent today and explore them through a Biblical lens. If you have any topics that you would like us to cover, please email them to me at guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.
Tomorrow we will continue with our 3-minute wisdom nugget that will provide you with a bit of wisdom that, if followed will allow you to grow healthier, wealthier, and wiser each day. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our trek for today. If you would like to listen to any of our past 750 treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe to iTunes or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.
Thank you so much for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!