How to Defend Your Biblical Worldview

How to Defend Your Biblical Worldview

Whitney Hopler

American culture today is a jumbled mess of clashing worldviews that
lead many people astray from biblical truth. Don't let yourself fall
victim to confused thinking that harms your spiritual health. Instead,
take a stand for the biblical worldview and help heal our culture in
the process.

Here's how you can defend a biblical worldview in our confused culture:

Learn how to be in the world, but not of it.
Don't just assimilate into the broader culture by living a lifestyle
that's the same or similar to the way unbelievers live. Instead, live
out your faith by following biblical principles in all areas of your
life so people can clearly see that you, as a Christian, are distinctly
different from unbelievers. Ask God to help you identify areas of your
life in which you need to be more faithful, and to give you the grace
you need to grow in those areas.

Trade comfort for sacrifice and service. Realize
that faith isn't about seeking your own comfort, but about making
sacrifices and serving others so you can grow into the person God wants
you to become. Ask God to help you stop looking inward with
self-absorption and start looking outward with compassion so you can
embrace the rigors of discipleship and the joys of selfless service.
Recognize that you can powerfully influence unbelievers by loving them
in practical ways.

Engage the culture rather than withdrawing from it.
Meet the culture in the marketplace of ideas and present the Gospel
message in relevant ways instead of isolating yourself in a Christian
subculture. Understand that your faith isn't meant to be private; it's
meant to be lived out in all situations -- at work, at home, at school,
at parks, at your local stores and restaurants, and wherever else you
engage with others. Realize that, even if you're not in professional
ministry, you still have a full-time calling to minister to others by
shining the light of faith brightly into other people's lives. Strive
for excellence in all you do.

Be clear about what constitutes a biblical worldview.
Make sure you know exactly what you believe as a Christian, and why you
believe it. Don't take your faith for granted or fall victim to the
widespread confusion in our culture. Read, study, and meditate on the
Bible often. Ask the Holy Spirit to renew your mind so you won't
conform to the pattern of the culture's muddled thinking and will be
able to discern God's wisdom. Figure out how the Bible answers these
key questions that help form a worldview: "What is prime reality -- the
really real?", "What is the nature of external reality, that is, the
world around us?", "What is a human being?", "What happens to a person
at death?", "Why is it possible to know anything at all?", "How do we
know what is right and wrong?" and "What is the meaning of human
history?".

Understand other worldviews. Get to know the
non-biblical worldviews that are swirling around in our culture. Know
that it's crucial to understand what other people believe in order to
ultimately be able to persuade them to consider the truth. Reach out to
unbelievers and engage them in meaningful conversations in loving and
respectful ways. Don't think of people who disagree with you as
"stupid, crazy, or evil," but as people made in God's image who are
loved by Him yet lost in confusion. Identify the false assumptions
underlying the arguments of those who hold non-biblical worldviews and
learn how to challenge those assumptions with respect and grace. Look
for worldview clues in the media and learn to think critically about
the messages they communicate.

Model Jesus' compassion. Show hurting people how
much Jesus loves them by following His example and helping them. Pray
for God to show you specific people He wants you to help in specific
ways. Then take action to serve them in Jesus' name. Help people like
family members, friends, and neighbors through one-on-one acts of
kindness as God leads you, and do volunteer work through charities,
ministries and other groups to bring relief to groups of poor and
oppressed people both in your community and around the world. Be
generous with financial donations to your church and other
organizations that help hurting people. Invite God to use your life as
a channel through which He can pour out His love to people in need. Be
alert to opportunities to serve, and follow the Holy Spirit's
promptings to give your resources (time, energy, or money) to the
opportunities God wants you to pursue.

Take political action. Whenever there's an election
at any level in your area, be sure to vote, knowing that your voice
will make a real difference in the future of your nation, state, and
local community. Get to know where the various candidates stand on
issues, and support the ones who are true to biblical principles.
Organize voter registration campaigns. Attend events like party
caucuses or precinct meetings. Volunteer your time and energy to
champion various causes and work on political campaigns. Contact your
elected representatives to express your views on issues you care about.
Be prepared to make a strong and clear case for your position on the
issues, but make that case with respect, grace, and compassion. Support
organizations that are fighting for religious freedom and Christians'
rights in the courts. Support legislation and constitutional amendments
(state and federal) that protect the traditional definition of marriage
and the integrity of the family. Overcome racial, economic, and other
differences to stand in unity with other believers on issues you all
champion so you can exert tremendous political influence.

Let awe for God's creation lead you to engage the world of science.
Understand that the common notion that faith and science must be at
odds is just plain wrong. Realize that science is actually a natural
extension of the Christian faith, because it helps us to appreciate
God's intelligent design and how His creation functions according to
immutable principles. Learn about the latest scientific discoveries,
and think and pray about the many ethical issues our culture is now
facing in fields such as biological technology. Take stands for or
against certain practices, such as opposing funding for forms of
medical research that require the destruction of human embryos. Support
school board candidates who understand the value of informing students
about intelligent design rather than just evolution.

Embrace the arts. Recognize that the arts have
great value, despite the many artists in the entertainment and media
worlds who present messages that are disrespectful or hostile to the
Christian faith. Instead of avoiding the arts, embrace movies, music,
literature and other forms of art that are inspiring. Support edifying
art and artists. Learn to recognize bias in the media and think
critically about messages communicated through what you watch, hear,
and read. Consider contributing to the arts yourself, acting as salt
and light to express God's truths to people in fresh and creative ways.

Pursue revival. Ask God to give you the courage and
wisdom to take a moral inventory of your life and recognize wrong
attitudes and behaviors. Then repent of them and rely on God's strength
to help you grow so you can live with integrity before a watching
world. Become outwardly focused rather than inwardly focused so you'll
be less prone to self-absorption and more likely to put your faith into
action. Pray for revival in America, interceding for government and
cultural leaders (like the President, movie stars, and sports figures)
who are currently in influential positions.

Become a seed. Be willing to give up your own
agenda for the sake of God's will, letting your selfish desires die so
your faith can grow like a seed maturing into a healthy and productive
plant. Invite God to do whatever is necessary to fulfill all of His
purposes for your life. Pray for the strength and courage you need to
contribute to the world in all the ways He wants you to do so.

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