Word of the Week - Biblical Worldview

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Ephesians 4:15

I received a letter from a few friends on Friday that addresses much of what we are experiencing as a nation during these times and it resonated with me in many ways.  What resonated mostly with me was the idea that as a man of faith I know the power of a Biblical Worldview and should be compelled to share it with others as a beacon of light and hope.  The letter, see linked here, prompted my “Word of the Week” this week.  I hope you find light and hope in what I have written and will share it with others.Biblical Worldview is Truth – So the real question from the beginning of time is “What is truth and how do we find it”.  I believe that “truth” is simply God’s truth, which is laid out in His Word, the Bible.  Since He is Creator of all things and set the world into motion at the beginning of time, we must trust that He knows what is true and good.  It is very clear throughout history that people are easily led astray when they follow their own ways.  Since we live in a fallen world and have a depraved nature, “There is a way that seems right to man but leads to death” Proverbs 14:12.  Given the times that we are experiencing as a nation, it is apparent that now more than ever we need to seek and find truth in order to have a true north to guide us through.  I believe that God the Father, the Son (Jesus our Savior) and the Holy Spirit is who we need to look to for truth, clarity and direction through God’s Word.  If we are united and standing in the truth we will find healing, unity and blessing.Here are 3 Biblical Truths that give us clarity: Gratitude:  God’s word exhorts us to “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18  Having an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances truly changes our perspective on life.  Understanding that life is a gift from God makes us really appreciate our blessings and is an antidote for our tendency to develop an attitude of entitlement as if the world or government owes us something.  One of the biggest issues we are facing in our county is a lack of appreciation and gratitude for the blessings we have as a nation.  It is amazing to me to see the attitude of many toward our country given the amazing opportunity and prosperity we have as a nation, especially compared to any other countries in the world.  The truth is that there are endless opportunities for anyone with character who wants to work and is willing to put in the time and energy to be successful.  It is not the responsibility of the government to provide for us and take care of us.  It is the role of the government to create a safe and stable environment for us to apply our talents and creativity to make a difference, create value and reap the return on our investment.  By the way the combination of our Country being founded on Judeo Christian biblical principles along with a free market capitalistic economic system has paved the way to create the most free and prosperous democracy in world history.  Something to ponder.Obedience:  Blessings come through trust and obedience to God and following His ways.  “Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me.  And because they love me, my Father will love them.  And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” John 14:21 Just like good parents know what is best for their kids, even more so does God know what is best for us, His sons and daughters in Christ.  To get the best God has for each of us and to rise above the confusion of the day to day challenges and distractions of this world, we must walk in obedience to God and His commandments, which He created for our safety and protection so we can remain healthy and flourish in Him.  The essence of recent movements, BLM and Cancel Culture, are advocating we redefine things like marriage, the core family unit, and gender clarity.  These ideas are in defiance to how God has clearly defined them in His word and thus innately destructive and counter to what is good and healthy.  It is not hard to understand the demise of this thinking and the long term implications, many of which we are already experiencing in our country with so much identity confusion and brokenness in families creating a repeating cycle of poverty, brokenness, addictions, bondage, incarcerations etc.  Faith, trust and obedience  in God bring life and freedom.  “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge Him in all things and He will direct your paths and keep them straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6Dependence:  Though I agree there is much room for improvement, our government and political leaders cannot solve all of our problems are be our cure-all, but God can and desires to be our everything.  He has declared Himself the great “I am”, everything we need, He is. Since the beginning of time, God’s desire and intention was companionship with mankind through a personal relationship with me and you.  To be our Abba Father. God loved us so much that He gave His son Jesus as a sacrifice so we can be in relationship with Him through the cross John 3:16.  He makes it very clear that “He is the vine and we are the branches, if we abide (pursue and connect) in Him then He will abide (pursue and connect) with us and we will bear much fruit (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & Self-Control), but apart from Him we can do nothing.” John 15:5 The chapter goes on to say “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:6  There are blessings that come from being dependent and staying connected to the vine of Christ and there are consequences if we are not connected.  This is a simple and profound truth that I continue to experience in my life.God’s promise to us is that even in the midst of the challenges of life (Covid-19, political uncertainty, economic uncertainty, riots and chaos etc) we can rise above it all and experience the abundant life of Christ if we follow His Word and walk in Gratitude, Obedience and Dependence with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit standing on the Word of God.  This is a biblical worldview and it is powerful if we walk in it.I truly believe that if we walk out these truths in our lives we will change the world and experience the Joy of the Lord, which is our strength especially during these challenging times.Pressing forward in faith,-Duane