Memo 1112: Worldview

Everyone has a worldview, even you. You may not be aware of it or even know what a worldview is for that matter, but you have one. Simply put, it's your lens through which you "view your world"—defining who made it, what makes it work, its problems, and possible solutions. Your worldview is your philosophy that determines how you interpret and respond to life's challenges and opportunities. David's worldview can be summarized in the first few verses of Psalm 24:

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob (Psalm 24:1-6).

Let's take a closer look at these verses so they can help you clarify your own worldview, which plays an important role in living an abundant life.

WORLDVIEW OVERVIEW

David started out by making a declaration that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it because He created it "on the seas and established it on the waters." That means He not only created it, but He also sustains it. He is all powerful and all knowing so nothing escapes His notice or watchful care. Because God created it all, He makes the "rules" and expects them to be followed. Perhaps it's better to say that the world and its inhabitants will function best as they obey His commands: to keep clean hands and a pure heart, not trusting in or swearing by false gods.

Then David acknowledged that God is the source of blessing and vindication in His role as our Savior, for mankind needs to be saved from their waywardness and complacency. The good news is that He is the "God of Jacob," and if you know Jacob's story, you know that he was a deceiver and conniver—but God was still his God. That is good news for each one of us tends to be like Jacob, and as such forgiveness and transforming power are available in our needy condition. Consider how simple all that is. A worldview doesn't need to be complicated or theologically sophisticated. However, it does need to be comprehensive and accurate, explaining the fallen condition of creation and its way out of its moral dilemma.

YOUR WORLDVIEW

Your worldview will determine your behavior and guide your decisions on a daily basis. If the earth is the Lord's in your worldview, then your business, family, career, education, body, and ministry are all under God's dominion. He wants to have a say in all of them, and has established clear guidelines in His Word for how you are to behave. Your faith isn't to be in government, philosophy, materialism, capitalism, or any other "ism" devised by man. It is to be in Him.

By now, you are probably thinking, "Yes, amen, glory to God, thank You, Jesus," but before you go too far, let me challenge you to assess the existence and relevance of your worldview. Does your worldview say your finances are under His Lordship, but then you give nothing to the poor or to missions causes? Do you give more energy to the study of the daily news than to God's Word? Do you give the best of who you are to your job, then hold back from serving others in other situations because you aren't getting paid to do so? I could go on and on but you get the point. It's one thing to talk about a worldview, but it's another thing entirely to live it out.

Part of my worldview is that God is the God of purpose, and He has given everyone an assignment to fulfill. He promises to give us whatever we need to flow in that purpose if we ask for it in the name of the Lord. What's more, He can pay us through an organization but He doesn't need one to sustain us. He can have us serve in one place and pay us through another. He can do all this because "the earth is the Lord's and everything in it."

 Therefore, your PowerPoint for Living this week is as follows:

Your worldview must be simple and clear, explaining who God is and His relationship to His creation. Then you need to live out and apply the concepts of that worldview to every aspect of your life so you are not saying you believe one thing but then doing another.

This week, give some thought to what you believe about the world, its condition and its future. Are you living what you believe or is it only lip service? Do you see that God has the right by nature of His Creator role to define what pleases Him for each individual as expressed through their purpose? Do you know your purpose? Are you consistently carrying it out? Perhaps you started reading this entry unaware of your worldview and its importance, but now you know how vital it is to the abundant life. So get busy living life according to a godly perspective of who you are and who He is and what He expects of you as His follower. Have a blessed week!