| [printer version] |
| “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8 reminds us that Christians are susceptible to the “elementary principles of the world” and the resultant damage it causes. Are we sure the traditions of men haven't deceived us? How can we tell? It's all about our worldview. To some people “worldview” is yesterday's buzzword--more flash than substance. Yet interestingly, others have never heard the word. One thing though is for certain, we all have a worldview and it matters. A worldview, in simplest terms, is the basic assumptions we make about how the world needs to work. It is the lens through which we look at all facets of life. Do you want to know what you're worldview is? Answer these two questions: What is the problem? What is the solution? For a five-year-old the problem may be not getting to watch television when he wants. The solution is therefore, self-rule. (Now if his mother would become so enlightened!)  As Christians, we define the problem as sin and the solution as redemption; but the Christian worldview is only one of six worldviews held by a majority of people in the world today. And even though the Christian worldview has been the predominate one in the history of our country, that is changing. Some would say that |  secular humanism is dominant in our country today. Others might make the case for Postmodernism. But the bottom line is they are both according to the tradition of men rather than according to Christ. It would be foolish to think that this is simply about creation verses evolution or prayer in public school. A person's worldview informs their beliefs in ten essential areas of life; areas not only like theology and ethics, but law, economics and even history. A person's worldview informs their opinion about stem cell research, the US Constitution, and taxation, just to name three. As Christians, we need to know and support the worldview which is according to Christ.  Why? In the book of Hosea the Lord declares that His people are being destroyed because of a lack of knowledge--and it wasn't a reference to knowing the story about David and Goliath. God's people were taken captive by the philosophies of the culture around them. Over the next year we will examine each of these areas so that we don't become captive to the deceptions of the world. It would be naïve to think that worldview is not something you really need to deal with. The truth is, you're already dealing with it every day. We are bombarded with the messages that our problem today is that we don't have enough money, pleasure, control, esteem. These all represent worldviews. It's not enough to go to church and say that you're against abortion. If we are going to enjoy the blessings God would have for us as individuals and as a country, we need to think and act on those principles and ideas which are according to Christ. Stay tuned! |