October Worldview Watch
How does a worldview affect our everyday view of life and circumstances?
Here is one example of how it surfaces in our understanding about human life and the effort and priority people place on preserving it at all costs.
Man’s: Popular culture has a saying, you only live once (yolo). This thinking motivates people to place all of their priorities and energy on this life. What is the logical conclusion of this belief? Live it up and stay alive as long as you can. Another by-product of this thinking is that if earthly existence is all we have, then there is no justice beyond this life. If this is the guiding story of reality you believe about the everyday events of your life, then you must do everything within your power to protect and preserve its existence. For instance, people will work tirelessly to mitigate any threat to life (like Covid) as an ultimate goal and it becomes the main road to ensuring your own safety and security. When this life is all we have, any threat to it can bring deep and soul disturbing anxiety. The reality is that we have a tiny impact on extending life. In addition, if this world’s flawed justice system is the only reckoning for wrongdoing, then we will wrestle between the emotions of despair and vengeance when we encounter routine and gross injustice. We can be consumed with fighting for justice as our pathway to peace and a safe world. A temporal perspective can become the controlling influence in our lives.
God’s: Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has put eternity in our hearts. This Christian teaching reminds us that we were created for more than this life alone. God is also the one who sustains us and one day, Jesus will judge the living and the dead. If this is the guiding story of reality you believe about the everyday events of your life, then you will be able to entrust details out of your control to someone more powerful. For instance, when thinking about Covid, the Christian has the ability to break free from the grip of fear. We know that our earthly life is not solely dependent on the successfully neutralizing the virus or any other life threatening illness. We can and should avail ourselves of God’s provision of science and medicine for the health and safety of humans, but we must anchor our hearts to the fact that God is ultimately in control of the number of our days. Reminding ourselves of eternity and God’s sustaining power brings peace to our hearts and helps us to keep our priorities on what is eternal. In addition, if Jesus is going to judge all people in the end, then we can be assured that even if justice is subverted in this world, it will pass unnoticed by the all-knowing judge. Jesus will judge wrongdoers according to what they have done, without partiality.
How do you see these two views at work in our world now? In those around you? In your own life?
Col. 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
2Tim. 4:1 ….. Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead……
Rom. 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
1Pet. 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
To read another angle on these same concepts, see the link below to Breakpoint.org for an article by John Stonestreet.
Here is one example of how it surfaces in our understanding about human life and the effort and priority people place on preserving it at all costs.
Man’s: Popular culture has a saying, you only live once (yolo). This thinking motivates people to place all of their priorities and energy on this life. What is the logical conclusion of this belief? Live it up and stay alive as long as you can. Another by-product of this thinking is that if earthly existence is all we have, then there is no justice beyond this life. If this is the guiding story of reality you believe about the everyday events of your life, then you must do everything within your power to protect and preserve its existence. For instance, people will work tirelessly to mitigate any threat to life (like Covid) as an ultimate goal and it becomes the main road to ensuring your own safety and security. When this life is all we have, any threat to it can bring deep and soul disturbing anxiety. The reality is that we have a tiny impact on extending life. In addition, if this world’s flawed justice system is the only reckoning for wrongdoing, then we will wrestle between the emotions of despair and vengeance when we encounter routine and gross injustice. We can be consumed with fighting for justice as our pathway to peace and a safe world. A temporal perspective can become the controlling influence in our lives.
God’s: Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has put eternity in our hearts. This Christian teaching reminds us that we were created for more than this life alone. God is also the one who sustains us and one day, Jesus will judge the living and the dead. If this is the guiding story of reality you believe about the everyday events of your life, then you will be able to entrust details out of your control to someone more powerful. For instance, when thinking about Covid, the Christian has the ability to break free from the grip of fear. We know that our earthly life is not solely dependent on the successfully neutralizing the virus or any other life threatening illness. We can and should avail ourselves of God’s provision of science and medicine for the health and safety of humans, but we must anchor our hearts to the fact that God is ultimately in control of the number of our days. Reminding ourselves of eternity and God’s sustaining power brings peace to our hearts and helps us to keep our priorities on what is eternal. In addition, if Jesus is going to judge all people in the end, then we can be assured that even if justice is subverted in this world, it will pass unnoticed by the all-knowing judge. Jesus will judge wrongdoers according to what they have done, without partiality.
How do you see these two views at work in our world now? In those around you? In your own life?
Col. 1:17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
2Tim. 4:1 ….. Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead……
Rom. 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
1Pet. 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
To read another angle on these same concepts, see the link below to Breakpoint.org for an article by John Stonestreet.