Worldview

It's a popular term these days, but what is it? A worldview is the framework by which we interpret the world around us. Now, some would like to think that they operate without such a framework. They like to think that there is an unbiased approach that simply takes things as they come. No such unbiased approach exists. Everyone has a framework, underlying principles and assumptions by which the rest of the world is interpreted. Another mistake would be to assume that worldviews can be simple. While we like to talk in terms of a "mechanistic worldview", for instance, that interprets the world solely in terms of naturalistic operations or a "theistic worldview" that sees things in terms of God, actual worldviews are held by people, individuals that tend to complicate things by mixing and matching principles and premises based on individual biases.

We Christians, of course, are supposed to have a Christian worldview. We generally don't, I'm afraid. We are commanded to not be conformed to this world, but most of us come to Christ already inculcated with the world's prejudices. We are told not to love the world, but we start out with that love in place. And every day we are bombarded with the world's perceptions in movies, television, music, news reporting, education, and so on. What we tend to end up with, then, is a hybrid, a mixture of Christian worldview and other aspects as well. We are commanded to "be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom 12:2), but we suffer from a deceitful heart that is unaware of our worldly biases. So we might think of things as "secular" and "sacred". Too many Christians see the world of Sunday morning as something different than the Monday through Friday realm. We have a set of values for church and family, perhaps, that differ from the values we carry for work and the rest of our societal interactions. We see science as one side and religion as another. And we often buy the ridiculous notion that "It's okay to have a Christian worldview as long as it doesn't express itself in public."

What does the Bible say about it? Well, we read this of Christ in Colossians:

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Col 1:15-17).

Look at that for a moment in terms of "worldview". What aspect of life and living does that not touch? Christ made all things. All things were made for Him. All things consist in Him. That's about everything, isn't it? Paul said, "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:29). Solomon wrote "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding" (Prov 9:10).

What am I getting at? If we actually believe that God is presupposed ("In the beginning, God"), that He is the primary point of everything that is, that all things consist in Him, and that knowledge begins with the proper attitude toward Him, then it ought to affect how we interpret everything. It is the framework by which we would understand physics, mathematics, biology, all of science. It is the framework by which we conduct church, deal with our families, perform our jobs. It is the framework by which we function in our world. There is no "sacred" and "secular" in this worldview. It is a lie to say "To serve God fully, you must be in full-time Christian ministry." There is no compartmentalizing of work and home and church and society. In this worldview, everything would be premised, understood, explained, and operated from the basis of God.

It's really a big concept, and, likely, difficult for most of us to really get our arms around. You'd have to ... well ... be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How does mathematics, for instance, operate from a Christian worldview? How about family? You would need to pick up every part of life and reexamine it in terms of God. But how important is that? Well, the truth is that your worldview is driven by your god. A worldview that is not premised on the God of the Bible is idolatry. It is important.

So let's do an exercise. Look at the job that you do. Maybe it's homemaker. Maybe it's scientist. Maybe it's mechanic. Maybe you work in the financial arena or the construction industry. Hopefully it's not "pastor" because then it could just be too easy. (I say "could" because I suspect it's possible to miss there as well, judging by the number of pastors who quit.) Whatever it is that you do, ask yourself, "How does my work fit into a biblical worldview?" Or, rather, "How would a biblical worldview change how I see what I do for a living?" You see, there is no separation of secular and sacred in a biblical worldview. What you do is sacred, a calling from God. You are doing what God gave you to do. It is at least one of your "ministries". Your job is part of what you do to work with God in His efforts in this world. So, how can you view your job through a biblical worldview and how would that change your aims, goals, and perceptions on a daily basis? Give it a try. You might find it worthwhile. And we sure would like to avoid that whole "idolatry" accusation, wouldn't we?