Only four percent of Americans have a “biblical” worldview, according to a recent national survey by the Barna Research Group. George Barna, a scholar who has studied cultural trends and the Christian Church since 1984, looked at the percentage of “born-again” believers in America and found that it was a pitiful nine percent.
The results of Barna’s study also revealed a link between moral convictions and behavior and worldview. Barna says, “Although most people own a Bible and know some of its content, our research found that most Americans have little idea how to integrate core biblical principles to form a unified and meaningful response to the challenges and opportunities of life.”
Everyone has a worldview, whether it is conscious or unconscious. A personal worldview is the culmination of all you hold to be true, and it serves as the foundation for all of your thoughts, feelings, and deeds. As a result, it influences how you react to everything in life, including philosophy, physics, theology, anthropology, economics, law, politics, the arts, and social order.
A worldview is simply the way we see the world. There are many types of worldviews. Some of the most common types are secular worldview, scientific worldview, postmodern worldview, and biblical or Christian worldview.
A biblical worldview is more than just an outdated notion. The way we react to significant occurrences in the world is altered by a biblical worldview. How would you react if a catastrophic event occurred? What reaction do you have to traffic? If your fast food order is incorrect, how do you respond? How would you react in the event of a terrorist attack? What are we doing about the political upheaval?
A person with a biblical worldview will react to these occurrences by viewing them through the prism of Scripture. A Christian will react to a calamity with faith in God’s wisdom, assurance of Christ’s impending return, and desire to share the gospel, whereas others may have their worldview challenged.
Christians don’t merely adhere to a biblical worldview in response to significant occurrences, however. Christians’ decisions about how to spend their time and money, respond to authority figures, parent their children, and deal with unpleasant remarks and words are all influenced by their worldview. The Bible is a blueprint for living.
The inerrant and infallible Word of God serves as the foundation of a biblical worldview. When you accept that the Bible is totally true and trustworthy, everything you say and do will be built upon it. A person who holds to a biblical worldview thinks that loving and serving God is the main purpose of life.
In the following guide, we are going to discuss:
- How does a biblical worldview get watered down?
- Why is having a biblical worldview important?
- Do you have a biblical worldview?
- How do you instill in your kids a biblical worldview?
Comprehensive Guide To Understanding And Developing A Christian Worldview
It is imperative we understand what a worldview is and how to develop a Christian worldview. It is also important to be able to train our children to develop a Christian worldview.
Proverbs 22:6 tells us to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This is not merely a parenting suggestion. It is a command that will help our children love the Lord and desire to honor and serve Him through all the years of their life.
So, how do we point our children to Christ so they will have a biblical worldview? We hope this article will help you with the endeavor.
How Does A Biblical Worldview Get Watered Down?
The main issue is right here. Non-biblical worldview concepts don’t just wait for people to look them up in a book and study them. They continually barrage us with information via media like television, movies, music, newspapers, magazines, and books.
These concepts persuasively appeal to the cravings of our flesh because we live in a selfish, broken world, and we frequently wind up adopting them into our own worldview. Unfortunately, we frequently do this inadvertently.
For instance, the majority of Christians would concur that we should abide by 1 Thessalonians 4:3 and other verses in the Bible that forbid sexual immorality, but how frequently do Christians engage in impure thoughts and premarital or extramarital sexual sin? Is it just that they give in easily to temptation, or did it start much earlier with the alluring lies of our sexualized culture?
Why Is Having A Biblical Worldview Important?
Our testimony will be contradictory and deceptive if we don’t genuinely believe and do what the Bible teaches. The majority of us live our lives without realizing how much the world has influenced how we view ourselves and our worldview.
The secularized American perspective of history, law, politics, science, God, and man has a greater impact on our thinking than we are aware of, thanks to the media and other influences. Then, we are taken “captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)
However, by diligently studying, applying, and trusting God’s truths in every area of our lives — whether it be watching a movie, corresponding with our spouses, parenting our kids, or working at the office — we can start to develop a strong, complete faith that will withstand the unrelenting trend of our culture’s unbiblical ideas.
We can start to draw the right judgments and formulate the necessary reactions to concerns if we begin to understand and embrace more of God’s perspective and trust it with firm faith. Because ultimately, what we truly think is revealed by the choices and behaviors we choose.
Do You Have A Biblical Worldview?
Do you hold a biblical worldview? Answer the following questions based on declarations from the Bible that George Barna utilized in his research:
- Do absolute moral truths exist?
- Does the Bible define absolute truth?
- Was Jesus Christ sinless?
- Is God the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe, and is He still in control of it today?
- Is salvation a gift that can only be received from God and cannot be earned?
- Is Satan real?
- Do Christians have an obligation to communicate their faith in Christ to others?
- Is the Bible inerrant and infallible?
Did you say yes to each of these? Among “born-again” believers, only 9% did. Your life’s example is more significant than whether you answered “yes” to these questions, though. Although we are all sinners and fall short, the majority of our instinctive responses will indicate what we genuinely, and deeply believe to be true and authentic.
How Do You Instill A Biblical Worldview In Your Children?
So the question at hand is, how do you instill a biblical worldview in your children? How do we teach how to see the world through the eyes of the truth of the scriptures? Here are a multitude of ideas:
- Start when they are young! Find materials for your children’s age that deal with their existing challenges and issues.
- Live out your faith and beliefs in front of them as a parent or guardian. Set a good example!
- Surround your family with a community of people who share the same biblical worldview as you and your family.
- Teach children how the Bible has an impact on every aspect of life. It is simple to embrace the secular mindset that language arts, science, history, and math have no bearing on a biblical worldview. However, the truth is that God’s word affects every aspect of our lives!
- Give your children a chance to practice implementing a Christian worldview. Including real-world applications for each subject demonstrates to children that God is interested in writing, math, science, and reading!
- Writing allows individuals to express their feelings of love and support and communicate clearly. As an illustration, you may ask your children to write a letter to a church member who hasn’t been able to attend church in a while or who is sick.
- Children who are proficient in solving math problems can use their skills to serve and encourage others. As an illustration, you may make cookies for your neighbor using a lesson on fractions.
- Science teaches children that God created everything for our enjoyment and to glorify Him. As an illustration, watch the fascinating butterfly life cycle by purchasing a butterfly kit and watching a caterpillar turn into a butterfly. What a beautiful example of God’s creation!
- Reading helps children learn all about Jesus and how He walked the earth and came and died for our sins. Reading also teaches children about other cultures so they will gain an appreciation and love for people who may not look or live like them. As an illustration, have your children read about the beauty and diversity of people from other cultures.
- Ensure your children know who God is.
- Help your children understand their purpose on earth is to worship and glorify Christ. The best example of this is leading by example.
- Model to your children how to serve others. Jesus commanded us to love both God and people. Love is not a sentimental feeling; rather, it is a choice, a sacrifice, and a commitment. By spreading the gospel and showing compassion for others, we can transform the world the way Jesus taught us to.
- Help your children find out who God created them to be. God has given all his children unique gifts to serve Him and others. Encourage your children to recognize and grow in the ways God has gifted them to serve Him.
Hope Lutheran School
At Hope Lutheran School, we are committed to implementing a biblical worldview and integrating God’s Word in all our classes. We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God – it is absolute truth. Our core values emulate our commitment and belief through scripture alone, grace alone, and faith alone.
- Scripture Alone – God’s revelation of Himself, through the inerrant Word of His Law and Gospel in the Bible, to His most loved creation-man.
- Grace Alone – Only by the empowering grace of God can we hope to approach and understand our Creator. His greatest evidence of grace to us is found in His Son, Jesus Christ.
- Faith Alone – Having begun to see the greatness of God’s love for us as understood in His Word through the gracious intention of His will, our faithful response comes in areas such as:
- Our belief in the saving death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Our realization of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
- Our foundation that life is of God and, as such, is always precious
- Our worship of God is active through both corporate fellowship and daily devotions and prayer, and our giving back to God with all that we have and do
- Our relationships with each other are extensions of God’s love
- Our excitement over His love for us compels us to make disciples of all
- Our integrity is seen in every one of our actions
If you are interested in partnering with us to help instill a biblical worldview and build lives of excellence upon the foundation of Christ, please reach out to us or schedule a tour. We believe that Hope Lutheran School equips our children to succeed in their academic pursuits and to become productive members of the church and society.