This week I read several things that included the words “worldview”. And those words led me into thinking about my own “worldview.” They were also one of the main themes of our own camp meeting that began our summer. And they seem to be a popular topic for many as they think about what is happening in our world at this time. How do you think about your place in the world? What affects how you think about your life and what you do day to day?
I have thought a lot about how my heritage affects what I do and have done as I live each day. I have decided that I have a Family Worldview! My family has always been almost the most important thing in my life. I was born to parents that had been through the depression and lived during the years following WWII. That had been a time that greatly affected how people survived and lived. It was also during the time following the dropping of the atomic bombs in Japan. It affected everyone then as fallout shelters were being built for protection against future bombs being detonated—maybe on America. There were signs everywhere pointing the way to safety. We were taught what to do in schools—to hide under your desk. There was much instruction on how to safe proof your home and what and how to stockpile your supplies for surviving a bomb attack. And in high school, we were taught the principles of the anatomy of the atomic bomb and how it worked. I have noticed that today, that study is left out of today’s chemistry and physics courses for the most part. Today you rarely see a notice of a fallout shelter. We, as a society, have learned that there are worse things that could happen to destroy the world. But those things helped define my worldview. I am so glad that God is in control of world events and that the state of fear isn’t needed for me since I know that He has my life in His hands—I gave it to Him!
The depression years affected my parents’ worldview and that in turn affected my own worldview. They knew how to make do—”Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” was a very common way of life for them and it became my worldview, and I have to remind myself that I can throw things away! I don’t need to fix everything so that I can get a little more use of an item. My worldview was knowing that I wasn’t going to get paid for everything I did. Most jobs/chores just had to get done! There was no allowance for me and no pay for chores. My worldview has been that I can survive without every latest thing and gadget that is invented that “I need and can’t do without”! God makes sure my bread and water are sure. If we trust Him, Isaiah 33:16 says: “He will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure.” And though others may have thought we were poor, I never realized the truth of that until much later in life. My worldview was that we had everything we needed, took vacations, and were rich in family love. That made my worldview a Family worldview where family is the most important to me and in my thoughts so very frequently. My thoughts keep me wondering what each person, son and their families, grandchildren, and brothers are doing. If I lived in a perfect world, I would get a phone call, a text message, or a letter from my kids every day! I don’t though! And then I think, I’m part of God’s family! I am His daughter. And there are days that I forget to let Him know what is going on in my life!
My worldview is one of having a small town, small church, and a small sized farm influence that affected my attitude as a girl and then as a mature adult. I am happier with the “small” life. I love to go traveling and expand my horizons, but I am happier with my “smallness” preferences. And yet, I know that I want the larger world to know Jesus and what He did for me and for them. I want my worldview to be able to expand to the Universe-view that I expect to have someday soon in Heaven. I will be grateful to see the multitudes that will be in Heaven because we all have loved and followed Jesus.
My worldview was expanded when I was in high school when I spent two summers as a live-in babysitter for 3 children so that their parents could spend time as working parents. The family was our pastor’s family. And while I had admired them from afar, I learned more about them those two summers. I decided then that someday I wanted to be part of a pastor’s family. From that time on, I thought about wanting to marry a pastor—my worldview!. And one day I did! Trying to fulfill the calling, I did what I thought would prepare me, and later I studied about and collected things that would help being part of a pastor team. In my efforts, I probably fell greatly short of what my pastor husband and his churches needed. But my worldview then became fulfilled during the years we spent in ministry.
Part of my worldview was given to me by my parents. They grew up in the post Ellen White era and in turn were taught “how to keep the Sabbath”! As I look back on those days of having every carrot peeled and every shoe shined and every Sabbath potluck dish tucked away in the refrigerator before sundown on Friday evening, I now realize that God doesn’t want us to just follow the rules. He wants our love and respect and wants us to love our time that we spend with Him. While I try to keep the Sabbath holy, I know that God is a reasonable God. He understands and gives us freedom to choose our own paths to grow and find time for Him. I also know that not everything has to get done. Sweeping the floor can be done on Sunday instead of being done right at sundown and maybe break the “rule” of not being ready! Yes, this has been my Sabbath worldview! It is in the name of my church—Seventh-day Adventist. Yes, I have a Church Worldview!
I have one more worldview! It is the Second Coming Worldview! Knowing that Jesus is coming back to take us home with Him when He comes back the second time has always given me hope and something to look forward too. Part of that worldview is coupled with my Family worldview. It will be then that my family can be together again. Part of it also is from my Church worldview. I belong to a church that expresses that hope in their name—Advent! Seventh-day Adventist!
It has long been known that children form their worldview by the age of 13! As I think about my worldviews, I realize that most of my views were indeed in place by the early teen years. On the other hand, it has been proven that only about 5% of parents with children have a biblical worldview. Children usually make spiritual choices by default, from their parents. More data seems to indicate that only about 7% of adults under 50 have a biblical worldview. It seems so sad to me that children do not make a choice to live their life hoping to live with God in heaven because they have not had parents to model that worldview for them. It’s almost as if they have no chance to know Jesus.
Today, I live with other worldviews that affect my life. I have a “I gotta have a garden” worldview. That makes me want to visit green houses and buy seeds and plants every spring and plant them even though it is very hard for us to take care of it. I have an “I’m living in an old house” worldview. I know that there will always be things that I wish were different but never will be in my house. I have an “I have cancer” worldview. There is seldom a day that I don’t think about that cancer word and what the rest of my life will be like. I will never be able to remove that word from my life. I also have an “it hurts to walk” worldview. The pain due to bodies that fail because of sin will always be present and remind me of the results of sin. I have an “I teach children’s Sabbath School” worldview. I thought it was my worldview until one day I was required to stop. I still see the usefulness of various things that could help teach children. Since I will never use them to teach again, it is part of my worldview that makes me sad. My husband has a worldview of “if you want a life worth living, you have to find something you like to do for someone else and do it!” He has many things that he likes to do and now physically can’t. He must ask for help and it has changed his worldview. Every experience changes our worldview and how we think, and about what God expects us to do in these days before He comes again.
I often think of the worldview of missionaries. I read a story of one missionary family who realized that their mission house bathroom did not have a toilet seat and cover and that they would need to learn how to live without them. It was a new worldview for them until they visited in the home of another missionary and were enjoying a good meal and fellowship and could speak English again. Then, needing to visit their bathroom, gave a loud shout upon the discovery of a normal toilet with seat cover. Their own house maintenance crew had just forgotten to install the seat. Their worldview of normal mission life changed immediately!
A personal worldview is a unique, individual framework of beliefs, values, and assumptions through which a person understands and interacts with the world. It shapes how we perceive reality, make decisions, and interact with others, influencing our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Essentially, it’s the lens through which we see everything. It includes Core beliefs and fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality, the existence of God, the meaning of life, and the nature of good and evil. These are values and principles that guide our behavior and choices, such as honesty, compassion, or success.
There are attitudes and predispositions that we respond to situations or people in a particular way. We have personal and cultural and life events or stories that shape our understanding of the world and our place in it and are impacting our worldview. The way in which we are raised plays a crucial role in shaping our worldview. Our parents, siblings, and other family members can have a profound influence on our beliefs and values.
We have expectations and beliefs about what will happen in the future and how things will unfold. Formal and informal education and learning experiences can broaden our understanding of the world and lead to shifts in our worldview. Interactions with friends, mentors, and romantic partners can also shape our perspectives.
Our own worldviews matter!
God, thank you for giving me a Worldview with You in it!