What’s Your Worldview?
A Pilgrimage Fueled By Hope
by Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
I lived a long time without realizing I had a worldview! I think a lot of people are like that, living life without identifying their core beliefs. Your worldview is that grid through which you push information and thoughts that lead to your actions. We can determine a person’s worldview by the way they respond to world events, as well as daily circumstances. A worldview really shows up when the lights go out in our lives. As we began the Pilgrimage Fueled by Hope series, I asked you to think about your own worldview. Is it truly biblical? What values shape your view of life?
It’s possible that in the first shock of loss or disappointments, we react out of pure emotion. As we settle in to a “new normal”, the crisis challenges us with a choice. If we have believed that God wants us to be happy, or that if we only have enough faith, God will prosper us and protect us from calamity, then our auto response to crisis will look one way. On the other hand, if we have embraced God’s Word as our worldview, meaning we have a biblical worldview, then our response will look much different. There are times when we have to wrestle with our own beliefs, to determine if we genuinely believe they are true. Our son’s death drove me to question how my worldview could help me survive the deadly grief that covered me. Before Mark’s death, I believed and taught that God is sovereign and we can trust Him. Mark’s death pushed that truth to the limit. Could I really trust the One who knew when He gave us Mark, that He would take Him away sixteen years later? I wrestled to reconcile God’s love with His sovereignty. At first God’s sovereignty did not comfort me, but in time, His sovereignty became the grid through which I pushed every detail of life, resting in His perfect love, even though I did not understand His ways.
Ask yourself: What is my default system when “life happens”? To what or to whom do I look for peace, purpose and relief from the pain? Is it friends, alcohol, drugs, control, manipulation, exercise, success, work, entertainment? What is your “drug of choice” when your world corners you? What about the popular mantra: Believe in yourself?
Take a step back and reflect on your worldview. Through what grid do you push your thoughts and actions? Is it biblical? Have you concluded that though the Bible is God’s Word, it is not relevant to your life today? If so, what is your default mode when life comes crashing down? How do you respond to the Scripture in Psalm 34:8?
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good.
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PRAYER
Father, just as Jesus promised, we will have troubles in this world, but we do not need to fear. Jesus has overcome the world. May we cling to the truth of Scripture, and push all of our fears through the grid of a worldview, rooted in biblical truth.
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.