Do you know what a world view is? Do you know what your world view is? Interestingly enough we all have a world view and most of us don’t even realize it. This World view effects daily decisions we make and we usually don’t even realize we have one, this seems like a dangerous way to live to me.
Word Net simply define World View as “A comprehensive view of the world and human life.” Others have gotten much more specific. The Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies gives these parts to a world view:1. An explanation of the world
2. An explanation of the future, “Where are we heading?”
3. An explanation of ethics, “What should we do?”
4. An explanation of action, “How should we attain our goals?”
5. An explanation of knowledge, “How do we determine true and false?”
Most of you are now saying, oh sure, I can answer these questions. However, what framework are you using to answer these and is it consistent between each area? Whether you realize it or not you make determinations constantly based on your world view. So, where can our world views come from?
Science. I know many people who feel all they know and need to know can come from applying the basics of science. The scientific method provides a structure for thought, evolution explains the origin of our world, and physics provide an explanation for our future. Science holds a lot of promise as a world view, if you look at everything through a lens of science and reasoning and make decisions on logic and proven fact then this may be the world view for you.
Self. This can be another world view that many choose to follow. Our world is here to provide me with the things I need to be comfortable, I determine my own truth and act upon that truth to get me farther along in life, my future is only hindered by restrictions I place upon me. Self can be a huge motivator and in our modern culture it is one that we hear about through most media outlets. If it feels good to you, do it. Don’t deny yourself anything. You are the boss, and you can make it happen.
Religion or Politics. My view of the world is putting people in a box of good and bad and calling them good or bad based on my religious or political preferences. Knowledge comes from my leader or pundit of choice. I make decisions about my future based on forecasting and outlooks of the future by people within my trusted circle of influence. This is usually a closed off group because good and bad are so clear to them.
If you feel you don’t really fit into any of these or maybe you feel like you might be a mixture of all of them, you probably are. In fact most people move between several world views throughout the day. However, no part of one world view can be in opposition with the same person’s overall world view. The idea here is that it has to make sense to us as an individual.
For instance if you are a scientific thinker a religious view about seven days of creation may contradict your thoughts on the origin of the world. So, you have to figure out a way that both could be true for instance you may say, I still believe in evolution but I am going to place God in the center of it and call it theistic evolution. Or you may have a self world view, but hear at church that you are to take up a cross (suffer) and follow Jesus. Suffering doesn’t quite go along with the self world view so you decide I can’t be suffering because then I can’t be a good parent or worker, I have to take care of myself. These are just two examples of how people mix and match and talk themselves through all the contradictions that come across on a daily basis.
I am going to suggest to you that there may be one other world view that needs to be shared. This is the Christ-centered world view (some call it Christian, but that sounds too religious for me). This is the world view that says everything I think, do, plan for, and act on all have thoughts of Christ first. The basis of this world view is the Bible which is the final authority. So a thought about should I take this job, buy this car, take my family here are all done with Christ as the center of the decision.
I am a Christ follower, a scientist, a member of the local church, a registered voter and a member of a very self driven society. So how does this look? I know that God is my final authority and I know that if something doesn’t make sense or I can’t figure it out from Scripture I need to keep looking. I know that God wants me to know Him and that usually if I put the time in to search I find an answer. I know that I am to vote, but not along criteria that any party or pundit tells me about, but along the lines of who agrees more with God. I know the scientific evidence for evolution and I know what the Bible says and I know that if I search I can find an answer that will not directly contradict either. The bottom line for the Christ-centered world view is to read your Bible and pray and slow down. The hardest one for me is the self world view. I hear all day long how I am supposed to do this and that for myself and how this product or that purchase will make my life better. When I catch myself thinking about self first (which is often), I pray for the strength to get back to what is really important.
So where are you? Can you now answer my original questions? What is a world view? What is YOUR world view? Are you happy with the way you look at the world and what your final authority is? Thank you for taking the time to read this because as I continue to go into a series on Contentment and Stewardship the Christ-centered world view is going to be the backbone. Keep reading, keep studying and keep Christ in the center.
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