I hold a Biblical worldview. Now this means quite a few things. First, I believe that absolute moral truths exist, and absolute truth is defined by the Word of God. Next, I believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Third, I believe that the omnipotent and omniscient God who created the universe still reigns today, and He gives salvation as a gift that cannot be earned. Not only do I believe the Lord God is real, but I believe that Satan is as well. Next, I believe that Christians must share their faith with others. Finally, I know and believe the Bible to be 100% accurate.
My worldview affects my life. Some people believe that Christians should be silent about their beliefs in public. For example, many colleges try to point out that Christianity is of the heart and not of the mind. Therefore, since professors teach the mind, Christianity should be left outside the door on the way into the classroom.
But I know this to not be accurate. If I hold a Biblical worldview, then I look to the Bible in everything. Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God." (Luke 4:4; NKJV)
We should subject every area of our lives to the Word of God. Now, every area could be a lot to tackle in one blog post, so I'll be addressing only a few. This essay will explain how my Biblical worldview affects my outlook on politics, family and friends, and entertainment. What does the Bible tell me about these three things?
Politics
First, my Biblical worldview affects my outlook on politics (What better time to look at this than now with the elections coming up?). What can I do for my leaders? How does God want me to react to authority? As a Christian, am I supposed to vote?
To begin with, the Bible tells us that we are to pray for those in authority. "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (1 Timothy 2:1-2; NKJV)
Next, we are called to submit to authority. Paul has something to say about this:
"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."
Let's look at one of the most controversial rules that the government has recently put in place: wearing masks. What makes me sad is that many Christians complain about having to wear face coverings and are outright disobeying the government. I understand that masks are not fun to wear, but it is a rule that the government has put in place, and we are to submit to the government's authority. If you don't believe me, Paul wrote the above passage of Scripture while Rome was being ruled by Nero, one of the worst, if not the worst, of Rome's emperors. Nero persecuted and killed Christians in unspeakable ways, yet Paul stated that we must submit to authority.
Though we are to submit to authority, we are never to disobey God, for He is the ultimate authority. For example, there is nothing in the Bible that says wearing masks is a sin. Therefore, we are called to abide by that rule. If our government put a law in place that ordered we could no longer read the Bible or pray, then that would be a time to disobey, for we are ultimately called to obey God. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the other apostles said, "We must obey God rather than men."
Finally, I believe that we, as Christians, should vote. James 4:17 tells us, "Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him, it is sin." How can we apply this to voting? When looking at the two nominees every election, you should ask yourself several questions. Do any of these nominees support abortion (see Jeremiah 1:5; Genesis 1:27)? Has any of these nominees acted in a way or stated something that might destroy our freedom of religion? Has one of these nominees ever said anything racist or degrading? And the list goes on and on. Our job is to vote for the better candidate so we may maintain our freedoms and save lives.
What do I mean by saving lives? Abortion has become too common. By voting, you can put an end to such atrocities. Saving lives is a good thing. "To him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him, it is sin."
Family and Friends
Next, my Biblical worldview affects my outlook on friends and family. What kind of friends should I have, and how meaningful are my friendships? How can I be a good friend? What are the functions of parents, children, husbands, wives, and siblings in the home?
First, we are to surround ourselves with good company. "Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33, NKJV) This does not mean that you are not to be friends with non-Christian people. Instead, it signifies that we are not to spend time with those who would influence us to do evil. For example, say I make a new friend at school. One day, this friend invites me to her house for a sleepover. I agree to go, but find that my friend is having an unsupervised party with drinking. Imagine I still go. My friend tries to get me to drink. This is an instance of how evil company ruins good habits. Don't let it fool you; peers can be very convincing. People your age can quickly get you to do things that you have been raised not to do. How do we avoid being put into tricky situations like the above? Simply, don't hang around a crowd that will try to convince you to do the wrong things.
Second, the Word of God tells us that the value of a good friend is great.
"Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NKJV)
At least one time in your life, you will need a good friend who will be there for you in times of trouble to support you. Despite your differences, they will love you. When you fall, they will help you up. Never underestimate the power of a beautiful friendship.
Next, as friends, we are called to build each other up. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." There may be times when we have to be blunt and tell a friend they are doing wrong. Or there may be times where you feel led to tell them that they have an unhealthy obsession in the kindest way possible. Maybe you have to encourage a friend to keep in the faith or keep going in one of their talents (e. g. sports, writing, art).
Finally, God's Word tells us how to be a good friend.
And above all things, have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:8-10, NKJV)
Being a good friend begins with love. If you have the love that only Jesus Christ can fill you with, you will be a good friend. After this step, we must be kind to our friends. I'll admit that sometimes my friends have said some hurtful things. I'll also admit that I repeated nasty things right back at them. But that isn't the way it's supposed to be done. We are supposed to be kind to our friends, whether they're fair or not. As Christians, we must be a witness to our friends.
Now, let's look at the family. First, children should honor, respect, and obey their parents. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you." (Exodus 20:12, NKJV) Also, Colossians 3:20 says, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord." Obeying our parents pleases God. Understand that your parents have wisdom and hold experience. They have been in this world longer than you – they know how everything works. Hence, when they make rules like, "Don't leave the yard" or "Don't go to a friend's house without permission," they are trying to watch out for you because they know what this world is like. Obey your parents.
Next, how are parents supposed to raise their children? Proverbs 22:6 can answer this question for itself: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Raise a child in the ways of the Lord. Bring up your sons or daughters on the Word of God. Also, be a constant example of what Jesus is like. If you preach one thing, then act out another, a child will most likely stop following the Lord sooner or later. So, train your child, be an example, and teach them God's Word.
Thirdly, wives are to submit to their husbands, and husbands are to treat their wives fairly.
"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:22-33, NKJV)
Like the church submits to God, a wife should submit to her husband. As Christ loves the church, a husband should love his wife. This means women are to respect their husbands, and men are to be gentle and caring with their wives.
Finally, how are siblings supposed to interact with one another? John 13:34-35 states,
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13: 34-35, NKJV)
Siblings love one another, even when "big sister" is bossy or "little brother" is annoying. 1 John 4: 20 states, "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?" Though John is talking of brothers and sisters in Christ, this can apply to Christian siblings! Loving siblings can sometimes be the hardest thing to do, especially when the other gets on your nerves. Still, we will love our siblings if we genuinely love God.
Entertainment
Finally, I would like to look at how my Biblical worldview changes what I seek for entertainment. I simply believe that what we fill our minds with should be the following:
"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)
Foul language is not noble. Sexual innuendo is not pure. Extreme graphic detail is not lovely. Crude humor is not of good report. Many R-rated movies have nothing praiseworthy about them. Putting things like this into your mind is not wise, for the Bible says we are to meditate on the exact opposite!
Why should we stay away from movies filled with bad language, sexual innuendo, extreme graphic content, and crude humor? Proverbs 4:23 states, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." How can we be guarding our hearts if we fill our minds with such questionable and outrageous content? We can't. To protect our hearts, we must keep away from anything that is not noble, pure, lovely, or praiseworthy.
Because I hold a Biblical worldview, I look to the Bible in everything I do. This goes beyond politics, family, friends, and entertainment. My Biblical worldview applies to my whole life!
Why do I look to the Bible in everything I do? Simply because I want to give glory to God in my life. "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31, NKJV)
Comment below and tell me other areas that our worldview affects!