Seeing Through a Biblical Worldview

I was about 14 years old when my parents took me to the optometrist to have my eyes checked. They’d noticed that I was straining to see things. Personally, I was in no hurry to get glasses and figured I could see well enough. Plus, it was all about maintaining my cool factor in Junior High. It was not surprising when the optometrist told us that I could not see very well. To them, it was very strange that all of a sudden I couldn’t see. It was no shock to me because every time I would have my sight checked at school, I squinted just enough to read the lines on the chart. 

For years I could not see clearly. The only thing I could read on the letter chart without squinting was the big E. I wasn’t sitting in the front of the classroom to be the teacher’s pet; it was because I couldn’t see the chalk board! I was very active in sports and other activities and never thought anything about not being able to see clearly because I thought my vision was good enough. As a result, I was missing a lot of life’s details. The doctor didn’t know how I was functioning without contacts or glasses. Not knowing what clear vision was, I didn’t know any better.

The day my prescription came in I could not believe what I had been missing. I could see the leaves on the trees, the stars in the sky, and reading things from a distance made me feel like a superhero. Looking in the mirror was not a fun sight because now I could see every imperfection on my teenage face. Being able to recognize someone before they were two feet in front on me was very helpful. It was like someone flipped on a high definition switch. Everything was crystal clear and I kept wondering, “Why didn’t I get contacts sooner?” 

Why didn’t I tell the school nurse or my parents that I needed corrective lenses? I had no comparison of good eye sight to bad eye sight and had no idea that it would make a difference. The same thing would happen to me 15 years later with my worldview.

Having someone tell you that your worldview is out of whack is an offensive message. It’s like telling someone that they’re a glutton or an alcoholic; no one wants to hear it. I thought a person’s worldview consisted only of their opinions. I believed I was allowed to have an opinion and that my worldview was good enough. Every person has their opinion or worldview shaped by something good or bad. How I viewed politics, education, government, biblical principles of money, education, on becoming a Christian family, social and national relationships, and resolving conflicts, were all based on my opinion.

After taking a worldview test and shrugging off that my worldview was in serious need, I wanted to hide behind the misquoted scriptures of Matt. 7:1-5. By my results, I was very politically correct and biblically incorrect. I had two choices--either examine my worldview a little closer and align it with scripture, or find someone that agreed with what I believed in and hang out with them. The latter was my normal response when I received counsel that I didn’t agree with. I had to do some serious thinking and studying. The scripture I used was always in my own context, not God’s. It now had to be my road map and nothing else--not tradition, evangelists, authors, family, or friends. I’d discovered that there was no way to have a God-honoring worldview unless I used the scripture as the authority in my life, even if it was not the most popular. I had to properly interrupt scripture and apply it to my own life. My opinions and beliefs are worthless without scripture backing them up. My worldview had been based on my own experiences and my preferences and not the Bible. Whatever works took authority over what the Bible said. I had no idea of my blindness and I was surrounded by many that viewed the world the same way.

My worldview had to be crushed and rebuilt, one truth at and time. A lot of rethinking went on regarding my ministry and family, salvation, and who God is. No one enjoys the corrective beating that God and His Word dish out when it is read as the measuring stick of life. I didn’t know what sacrifice meant or picking up my cross daily, even though I believed I was doing both of those. By looking at the world and myself through a biblical worldview, I saw everything in a new light. The spoiled rotten churchgoer had now become the prodigal son returning to the truth with great reverence and humility, truly embarrassed of the past. When I looked in the mirror I could see that undeserving wretch the song talked about. I could see the log in my own eye that I had never noticed before. I was no longer the main character of a movie about me, but a mere extra in God’s divine documentary. Today is not the end of shaping my worldview--it’s just the beginning. 

For it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,

making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

                                                                       Ephesians 5:14-17

By Ray Baumann Email: Ray.baumann@mac.com Click here for bio and archived articles