What is a worldview and why does it matter?
Your worldview is the way one views the world. It’s how one sees right and wrong, their place in this world, how they affect it and how they are affected by what is around them. It influences their decisions, beliefs and values.
Dr. Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries defines worldview as a “pattern of ideas, beliefs, convictions, and habits that help us make sense of God, the world, and our relationship to God and the world.”
Having a solid Christian worldview speaks of the following beliefs:
- We are created by God
- We have forgotten who we are
- Jesus came to bring us back
- Invite others to see how we see (1)
When a person doesn’t operate with a Biblical worldview, they don’t see themselves as an image-bearer of God. Therefore, they won’t make moral decisions that honor their Creator, nor bring value to themselves and others. If one operates in any other worldview than a Biblical one, their values will be based on emotions and feelings, and their decisions will not be based on truth.
When one faces an unplanned pregnancy, their worldview will impact their decision. If they don’t trust in a loving a God and His standards that bring freedom, they will make a decision out of desperation with concern for the moment. However if they do operate with a Biblical worldview and decide accordingly, they will see that this life they now carry is made in the image of God and they will trust that God will help them through their moment of crisis.
Many people within our churches are lacking a Biblical worldview. Their truth is what they have heard from the world around them and not necessarily from Scripture. This leads to making decisions and choices that are contrary to God’s Word. We often assume Christians understand what God thinks about certain issues yet statistics reveal otherwise.
The Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University completed a profound study entitled “The American Worldview Inventory 2020” (2) to find what Christians in our churches believe about their worldview. (3) They found among the surveyed Christian that:
- 44% of Christians believe that the Bible “is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion.”
- 34% affirm that “abortion is morally acceptable if it spares the mother from financial or emotional discomfort or hardship.”
- 40% do not believe that “human life is sacred.”
- 42% of professing Christians “seek moral guidance primarily from sources other than the Bible.”
- Regarding traditional marriage, 34% of respondents “reject the idea of legitimate marriage as one man and one woman.”
When those in our congregations do not know, understand or believe in the standards of God’s Word, we will see them make consequential decisions that will lead to pain and even death.
As Christian leaders, we are strategically placed to be messengers of God’s Word that will bring freedom. Through powerful sermons filled with grace and truth, instructing with a Biblical worldview, we can deliver a message contrary to what is being spoken in the world. If the church doesn’t message on the value of life and God’s heart for healing and hope, those in our church will hear the enemy’s message to them from the world.
In the past, churches have spoken with condemnation on abortion driving individuals to hide in secrecy. Or, they have chosen to not message at all resulting in people believing God doesn’t have a standard on abortion or that the sin is unforgivable. The enemy has then succeeded in keeping churches from being effective in helping individuals choose life and has debilitated our churches in bringing hope and healing to those struggling from a past abortion.
Now more than ever, we need the Church to bring the Good News to the world.
There are a few resources we have found helpful in equipping individuals in developing a Biblical worldview. The first one is through Summit Ministries called The Secret Battle of Ideas About God. This is a seven week study about what we base our beliefs on and helps individuals identify what worldview is behind a particular thought or idea. Believers will be taught to understand what they believe, why they believe it, and how to defend it against other worldviews. You can find more information through Summit Ministries by clicking HERE.
The second one that deals specifically with the life issue is the book Stand for Life by John Ensor and Scott Klusendorf. This is written more for young people yet is helpful, really, to any age. In the book, you will learn how to defend your pro-life views in five minutes or less, understand the sanctity of human life, simplify the abortion debate, develop a Christian response to abortion and discuss the difficult concepts of unsafe abortions, abortion when mothers lives are at risk, my body, my choice, and more. You can find the book on Amazon by clicking HERE.
Educating individuals on a Biblical worldview will bring freedom, hope and life to this generation and the ones to come. The Church is the perfect place for this to be established. Thank you for being a part of equipping the Church.
(1) https://www.summit.org/worldview/
(2) https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/CRC_AWVI2020_Release11_Digital_04_20201006.pdf
(3) https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/milton-quintanilla/44-percent-of-american-christians-believe-the-bible-is-ambiguous-on-abortion.html
