Day Five: Applied Worldview

We don’t just “learn” the Christian worldview; we live it. The third level of worldview awareness lies in application and lifestyle. God is a personal God, and He cares about every aspect of our lives; nothing is too great or too small to escape His attention and care. Sometimes we think the small things don’t matter, however, little parts of our lifestyle can often lead to bigger changes.

Ideas have consequences because they lead to attitudes and actions. Our presuppositions (heart choices) will find a way to manifest in our lives. At the applicational level, we see the tangible expressions of worldview. Our actions and attitudes reflect our heart's assumptions and beliefs. Our beliefs create a lens through which we see and interact with the world. This lens affects such areas as our work, family life, finances (how we manage our money), relationships (how we relate to people and community), recreational time (what we watch, how we play, what we read), prayer life, habits, and so much more.

Depending on your stage in the worldview journey, you may or may not be aware of all that is influencing you. When you are confronted with the truth, you must decide how you will respond. When you are committed to integrating truth into your life and worldview, you will live by design rather than by default. There’s a difference between believing in something, truly understanding it, and actually applying it to your life. This last stage is so important! True integration is application.

Once we are functioning at the application level, we’re able to recognize the dual life of those who have been intercepted by the love of Christ but not changed by it. Some Christians may only be partially living the lifestyle of applied Christian worldview. There’s a saying, “If being a Christian is a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Is there evidence in your life and actions that reflects what you believe? The applied level is often where we find inconsistencies in people’s worldviews.

Applying a godly worldview challenges our character; its integration brings consistency and integrity to our lifestyle. Our worldview should be applied to and reflected in our lifestyle. Simply knowing or expressing what we believe is not enough. Our attitudes and actions are ultimately expressions of our heart’s assumptions, so we need to continually reflect on our beliefs.

Thought of the Day:The integration of a godly worldview brings consistency and integrity to our lifestyle.