“Worldviews are like belly buttons. Everyone has one, but we don’t talk about them very often.”
Until recently, I hadn’t thought much about my worldview. I wasn’t even sure if I had one. But that word keeps coming up.
Did you know the way we speak, act, write, think, and live is determined by our worldview — our belief of why things are the way they are? We all live according to how we view the world.
Brandon Clay said: “Everybody has a worldview. Whether they know it or not, everyone sees the world through a set of filters” (answersingenesis.org).
“It’s a philosophical view of the world — and not just of our planet, but of all reality,” said James Anderson, source of my opening quote, and author of “What’s Your Worldview?” “A worldview is an all-encompassing perspective on everything that exists and matters to us … It reflects how you would answer all the ‘big questions’ of human existence, the fundamental questions we ask about life, the universe, and everything.”
After talking with a person for just a few minutes about anything that’s important, we will probably have a good sense of his or her worldview. You might be surprised by how many people have a different worldview than you.
The researchers at Barna.com said we live in a world of competing worldviews. I wonder, does my worldview compete with yours? My worldview was pretty easy to discover. I have a biblical worldview. A nationwide survey, commissioned by the Family Research Council, revealed 51% of American adults believe they have a biblical worldview. In reality, as evidenced through further questioning, only 6% actually do.
When professing Christians were surveyed, 84% claimed to have a biblical worldview. In reality, only 9% do. What’s the cause of this discrepancy? It could be that people don’t know the Bible well, or are selective about which parts they believe.
The Family Research Council stated: “We believe a person exhibits a biblical worldview when their beliefs and actions are aligned with the Bible, acknowledging its truth and applicability to every area of life.”
How do I know that I have a biblical worldview? I believe the Bible. I agree with God as he reveals his will and his ways through its pages. I believe it is without error, complete, and the actual words of God himself. Therefore, I consider the Bible authoritative over every aspect of my life. I allow it to correct and direct me, and show me how to live. I look to it for help and answers, especially during difficult times. God’s Word is my hope and joy, my source of strength and peace. I can’t imagine life without it.
Jeff Baldwin, a fellow at the Texas-based Worldview Academy, said worldview “is like an invisible pair of eyeglasses — glasses you put on to help you see reality clearly. If you choose the right pair of glasses, you can see everything vividly and can behave in sync with the real world. But if you choose the wrong pair of glasses, you may find yourself in a worse plight than the blind man—thinking you see clearly when in reality your vision is severely distorted.”
- Kathy Hardee is a wife, mother, grandmother, dog walker, writer, and worshipper of the one true God. She can be contacted at kathy@kathyhardee.com.