Ever wondered, “What is the big deal with Worldview?”
Wondered how that could make a difference?
Oh! It is truly foundational. It makes a difference in everything that we do—personal purpose and identity, relationships, business or ministry purpose and practice, spiritual conviction, theology, etc. It defines everything about who we are and why we are here
In a Christian worldview, the relationships between God, nature, and man are all related. They are all woven together. They are inseparable. There is not one area that can be extracted without the entirety being weakened.
It is within the Christian worldview that I believe we find the most satisfactory response to the relationship between man, nature, and God.
I love how author James Sire sums everything up. He explains that our worldview is always expressed in story (Sire 20-21). He writes:
Christians tell the story of creation, Fall, redemption, glorification–a story in which Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection are the centerpiece. Christians see their lives and the lives of others as tiny chapters in that story. The meaning of those little stories cannot be divorced from the master story, and some of this meaning is propositional (Sire 21).
He continues to explain that by propositional, he means that when we consider God, humans, and the universe, Christians view each with presuppositions that are distinctly within a Christian worldview. By this, Christian assumptions are considered “true, conscious, consistent” and the assumptions about God, man, and nature bring us a foundation to live by” (Sire 21).
According to Sire, these basic assumptions are summed up in 7 basic areas:
- Prime reality
- The nature of the world around us
- The view of man
- The view of what happens after death
- The possibility to know anything at all
- The standard of right and wrong
- The purpose of human history
- Core commitments (Sire, 22-23).
For the Christian, God is central. Everything begins with God’s nature (Sire, 27-32). This is why it it is important for us to explore what we believe about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Everything flows from that one foundational belief.
Author and theologian C.S. Lewis reminds us that there has to be something directing the entire universe (Lewis, 25). Lewis shares that Christians offer the world an explanation of how we got in our current state (fallen) and how God can bring us back (Lewis, 32). Lewis says it best as he explains that God is just what mankind has longed for and searched for to brings us explanation for life and the comfort we seek (Lewis 32). Sire sums it up by sharing, “God is not just in his heaven but with us–sustaining us, loving us, and caring for us (Sire, 46).” It is this beautiful relationship that compels us to respond to Him in love, obedience, and praise. In the Christian worldview, not only is God the “Lord of the Universe” and our “maker” but He is also sustainer, redeemer, and friend (Sire, 46). He is not only “a god,” but He is a personal Heavenly Father Who wants relationship with us. In fact, He wants that personal relationship so much that He has made a way to bridge the gap that sin and death created. The Bible is “His story” of the redemption of mankind and the restoration of His kingdom, where we get to be a part.
Worldview IS a very big deal. It is the “story of creation, Fall, redemption, glorification–a story in which Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection are the centerpiece” (Sire, 21). The most incredible news is that our lives are “tiny chapters in that story.” Knowing our story helps us to know our purpose, our position, our provision, and our power. It gives us a deeper understanding of our God, our own identity, our purpose, and the truth of our Bible.
Join me on a journey to develop our worldview in the next few posts. I think there are some treasures for us as we look deeper.
Further Reading:
Mere Christianity by CS Lewis
The Universe Next Door by James W. Sire
