Faulty Worldviews

"Thoughts are often lies we tell ourselves". Rick Warren - pastor, Saddleback Church.

Have you ever wondered what the world was coming to, especially with all the bad news you see and read about today? How is it that the citizens of the most powerful, benevolent nation in Earth's history is so completely divided and at odds with itself? How is it that we've strayed so far from the ideals that made America great? How is it that we can't seem to find even one person who has a clue how to fix the problems now facing our nation, and the world? How is it that our neighbors and co-workers define America differently than us? How is it that one Christian can vote Republican and another vote Democrat when the core principles of each party are the opposite of the other?

Rick Warren suggests that all behavior is based on our system of beliefs. We act according to our beliefs. What we think is what we do, even if that act is self-destructive and illogical. Every time we make a decision, at that moment we believe it is the right thing for us. The way we look at problems and determine the solutions to those problems is our worldview. "Your worldview is the set of perspectives, values, and convictions that you believe to be true. It is the foundation of your life." (Rick Warren) Rick goes on to say that not everything we believe is true; that we "pick up false and faulty ideas from culture, friends, parents, books, movies, music, the media, and many other imperfect sources that we're not even aware of."

I've long wondered how a Christian could vote for someone on the Democratic ticket. I'm sure there are Democrats who wonder how a Christian can vote Republican. It's seldom about the candidates themselves, and more about the core principles each party stands for. Could it be, and I think it must be, that neither party is based entirely on truth?

Os Guiness, author of "The Case for Civility; And Why Our Future Depends On It", says that the reason we have faulty worldviews is because we've been taught lies about truth. We're taught that truth is dead, or that there is no such thing as truth; that we're all just accidents, so truth is irrelevant. Even so, what is it that victims of injustice desire the most? "Justice through truth - and if not justice, then at least truth...Without truth there can be no justice and no reconciliation."

Our society has embraced an idea of tolerance and relativism - that says that we affirm that all views are equally valid. America has passed laws, called hate-crimes, should someone vocalize or act in a way that others interpret as judgmental or intolerant.

As a Christian, I choose to believe that the God described in scriptures is real and that the scriptures themselves are true. Jesus said, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." There is liberty in truth; there is bondage in a faulty worldview. So how do I know what is true?

Besides the truth revealed in the Bible, and in nature, I can also know the truth because it is in my heart (conscience). I know right from wrong. I know that killing babies is wrong, just as I know that ignoring the poor and needy is wrong. I may choose to go along with an abortion for convenience sake, or hold on to my money to feed my own family; but my conscience will tell me I was wrong. But there's another way to know the truth; and that's by comparing my ideas with the way the world really works. Truth conforms to reality; and I can test my worldview by asking the following questions:

1. Where did I come from?
2. Why is the world such a mess?
3. Is there a solution?
4. What is my purpose?

Can Darwinism fully explain where I came from? Some may think so, but where are the intermediate fossiles that link mankind with animals? When has science ever created a new species? What are the odds that so many different life forms would exist, let alone come from one dead source? To me, intelligent design makes far more sense.
And if there is a Creator, then the idea that life is purposeless and nothing matters must give way to the knowledge that God gives all human life sanctity, value, meaning, and purpose.

Our culture rejects the idea of sin, and places the blame for all the world's ills everywhere but upon ourselves. Society teaches us to deny our responsibility for evil. We make excuses for those who commit evil. On the other hand, people ask, "If God is real, then why is there so much evil in the world today?" By implication, if God is sovereign, then every sin calls into doubt God's knowledge of what is best; so all we can do is to live the best way we know how. The problem with this worldview is that we cannot consistently do good. We can do good things, but we can't be good. Try being good and see how long you succeed. The only answer that makes sense is that Christ has overcome sin and that if we'll simply confess that we're incapable of being good (tell the truth), then He will forgive us. If you've ever been forgiven for a wrong you've done to someone else, you know what that freedom feels like.

The world is looking for salvation in all the wrong places: politics, the law, education, pacifism, economics, psychology, etc. If you've done harm to someone at some point, you probably know what guilt feels like. In my life it's spelled GUILT. Guilt has played a big part in my worldview. How does your worldview handle guilt? How can we reconcile all the wrongs every person has ever done so that we can live in a world free of guilt? The only worldview that offers a solution to this is redemption through Christ; first with God, and then in all our relationships. Not that all of our problems will go away; but through grace we can accept God's will for our lives. Because we've received grace, we cannot deny God's grace on others. We must learn to see others as God sees them rather than through our faulty worldviews...which is hard for me because I'm a bigot and I'm getting old and cranky and it's hard for an old dog to change.

Our concepts of freedom, the rule of law, and limited government come from the scriptures. It's how civilized man agrees to limit his own desires for the common good. We consciously or subconsciously desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves because we feel insignificant in the scheme of life. That's not how God views us though. He created us on purpose for a purpose. Our challenge is to discover that purpose and fulfill it. This morning in worship service one of our members commented that he'd 'just like a clue about what that purpose is.' I've often felt that way and fretted about whether I've missed what God wants me to do. As my wife also pointed out this morning, it's not about what God wants me to do, it's about what He wants to do through me. See how there's a difference from that viewpoint?

God called us to fulfill the Great Commmission: To love God with everything we are, and to love others as we love ourselves. Sounds simple, but it's not easy. If you view God as holy and sovereign, then you would probably obey God out of fear. I didn't know how to love God until I read "The Shack" by William P. Young.

I find it hard to like, let alone love, a liberal. If I pray for one, it's more likely to focus on God's wrath upon him than it is God's blessings on him. But a scriptural worldview tells me that every person is important to God, and if that person is important to God as much as I am, then that person ought to be important to me.

Before my pastor went to New Orleans to help families rebuild after Hurricane Katrina destroyed their homes and lives, I was of the opinion that they deserved what they got by ignoring all the warnings to get out ahead of the storm. Then Jimmy went down and worked on the homes of some ladies and those statistics suddenly had names; and because of Jimmy's excellent blogging, those names had faces and they had stories and they had worth. Through Jimmy's eyes, I saw people I cared nothing for as God sees them. That's how I learn to love others as I love myself.

My worldview is not perfect. I'm a fundamental Christian born in the South who loves my country with a passion. I can turn a blind eye to my daughter's faults, and I can ignore the faults of the people I am in relationship with. I can find fault with people who have a different worldview than I have - because I've not walked in their shoes or been forced to make the decisions they've had to make. The only place I can get a worldview that is based on reality is in the scriptures. I can compare my viewpoint with that of God's and if mine is different, then I know mine is the one that is wrong. I believe that scripture is inspired and protected by God, so based on that viewpoint, I choose to believe the nature and person of the God described inside. The only way that I can know God's solution and purpose for my life is to study the scriptures and to let them guide me through this journey.

People that know me probably think that I'm doing a lousy job being what I believe. I agree.