Worldviews, assumptions about reality, shape how we view the world around us. We tend to hold tenaciously to the things we believe to be true. Some of those things are true. Some are not. How would you know the difference? Would you care to know?
What we believe shapes our values and our actions.
A friend who was being held captive at gunpoint was told by a guerrilla, “Shooting you is no different than shooting this tree.”
What makes an opinion correct or incorrect? Who says?
Whose opinion actually lines up with reality? Everybody has an opinion. Whose opinion matters? Who is the authority on what is true?
Would the Designer’s opinion matter? Would the Creator/Owner’s opinion matter?
If truth matters in regard how one views the world, affecting consequent behavior, then, as the anchor for reality, worldview, and truth, God’s opinion matters most.
God’s view about reality is the only reliable, unmoveable source for guiding actions toward goodness. He knows how everything works and what is best because He created everything to work according to His pattern. He is the ultimate authority. He has unlimited knowledge. The only alternative to accepting what God says about reality is to hold on to the guesswork of those persons created by Him. An opinion in opposition to His view, as revealed in the Holy Bible, is one held against reality.
That’s why God gave us a book. An operator’s manual. The Holy Bible. It’s where we get our reality check.
So, you have God’s operator’s manual. What about communicating that information to people who believe differently? How would you even know that what you say and what they hear are the same thing? That’s where understanding what other people believe can help you accurately transmit God’s message.
What is a worldview?
Dr. Sean McDowell, son of Josh McDowell (author of “Evidence That Demands A Verdict” and “More Than A Carpenter”), teaches about worldview in this short video. Worldview is a story: a beginning, a problem, and the solution. Each worldview has an origin, a predicament, and a resolution. Which story, which worldview is actually true?
How do other people view the world?
More about Worldviews…
Worldview – Test yours.
Answers In Genesis: How Secular Is Your Worldview?
Focus On The Family: What’s Your Worldview?
Impact 360 Institute: Everyone has a worldview. What is a worldview?
SUMMIT Student Worldview Checkup:
https://www.summit.org/curriculum/student-worldview-checkup/
Reach The Isles has some great short videos on Worldview:
If God has a worldview, then does He have real purpose for our activities on earth? Will we be held accountable for our response to the revelation of His will for us? What activities will bring my life meaning and best prepare us and the people around us for our eternal future?
Need a worldview adjustment, a reality check? See establishseries.com
(Or, see this Bible Overview – https://send100.org/bible/)
[Note: This page is a work in progress. It will change as I learn how to better communicate these ideas to serve my audience (you) and inspire engagement.]