The ABC’s of Discernment: W is for Worldview

Discerning visible actions is helpful, but it is only half the equation as actions ultimately come from the heart. Therefore, it is perhaps more necessary to apply discernment to understanding how one views the world than to a specific action.

For one action may seem very right and good—until it is seen in the broader context of the underlying worldview. For example, most of us would agree that adopting an orphan is a good thing. Indeed, we are instructed in Scripture to care for widows and orphans. So this single action, in of itself, might seem good . . . until we realize the child is being exploited for pornography or labor.

 
This wider context is what makes pinning down a worldview so difficult. Most worldviews have parts which are true or biblically sound, but those parts have been twisted in the wider context to be anything but biblical. Remember discernment is separating good from evil, and this is especially true with worldviews.

So when trying to handle a worldview, ask:

What conforms to Scripture? What strand of truth is woven into the worldview? Satan doesn’t originate anything, but he is a master of manipulation, twisting truth into lies. So buried inside is likely to be something biblical.

How has this biblical truth been twisted? Again, the problem comes from twisting one or more elements of rightness—whether the right action at the wrong time and place or by the wrong person or in the wrong way or for the wrong reason.

What is the proper handling of this? Find the good, separate it from the evil, toss the evil, and put the good back into the context God intended.

Stirring the Pot:

Which worldview(s) do you most consistently encounter?

 

What good can you pull out of that worldview and use it/learn from it as God intended?

 

How has that worldview twisted that good?