Theology Thursday: The Formation of a Worldview
Worldview is a strange topic in some ways. Human beings all have a worldview, but most often it is acquired and exercised with no intention or attention. Children are brought up under whatever circumstances their parents choose. They live where their parents choose. They go to the church their parents choose or do not go to church at all if that is their parent’s choice. They hear the political rhetoric their parents embrace. They have the number of siblings that are born into their family without their input. They learn from neighbors and teachers whom they did not choose. Despite these decisions that are made without their approval, the children’s worldview is being formed in that setting.
All of these non-decisions in a person’s life are what begins to form a worldview. By the time a person begins to discuss worldview topics, most of his or her perspectives on the world have been established. In many cases, however, those perspectives have been put in place without explicit knowledge or intentional decision. The foundation of the discussion has been built with no awareness of the implications.
In order to examine the Christian worldview, we must start with a conversation about the basics of Christianity. If we start with our own worldview, we could be tempted to make our personal assumptions that are based on our experience foundational to the conversation. Christianity is the core of the Christian worldview conversation. Giving serious consideration to Christianity challenges our assumptions and calls into question our values and our decisions.
Genuinely examining the Christian worldview is difficult and unsettling because when we acknowledge that God created us, knows us, loves us, and has a great plan for our lives, we are challenged with our response. If he wants us to live full, fruitful and faithful lives that please him, we may need to reconsider some of the decisions we make.
As we consider the implications of a Christian worldview, we find ourselves examining the choices we make that are based on a worldview that we embraced with no thought about our real purpose in life. We ask ourselves, “What about my worldview is built on a flawed foundation and what do I need to be willing to change in order to embrace God’s best for me?”
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