How does being familiar with a biblical worldview help us understand the big picture of God’s design, and how can you apply that understanding to your own calling?
The biblical worldview is based on God’s design. His design for the world and our lives is laid out for us in the Bible, which is where we draw our worldview from. Being familiar with this worldview, then, is to be familiar with His design.
For example: The biblical worldview holds that “Man is the steward of God’s creation and is to subdue the world in a manner consistent with biblical revelation” (Slick, M. 2008). This reflects God’s design for us to “hold dominion over” the plants and animals of the world, cultivating and caring for them, but ultimately reigning over them (Genesis 1:26-30, ESV). Because the biblical worldview reflects God’s design for us, it offers a lens we can look through to examine our world, and our place in it, based on God’s design for us in the world. If we hold on to the biblical worldview, we can easily fact check ourselves with the Bible to keep us on track, and that enables us to embrace God in our lives and walk in His will.
In application, we can ask ourselves if what we are doing is in line with a biblical worldview and therefore God’s design. We must both defend and challenge our views with scriptures to prevent secular, non-biblical views from charading as biblical (Tackett, D. 2006). Being intimately familiar with a biblical worldview will protect us from turning our backs on God’s design. We can examine our lives through this lens to determine if we are following our own selfish desires, or if we are responding to our calling. Since God is the one who calls us to our vocation, our calling will always be in line with what the Bible says, in line with God’s design, and therefore in line with a biblical worldview (Smith, 2011). The more familiar we are with a biblical worldview (and therefore God’s design), the greater discernment we can use when faced with daily challenges, temptations, and uncertainties about what God’s purpose for us, and therefore our calling, will be. “The reason for this is that God’s purposes in the world are always consistent with the way that God has made the world” (Smith, 2011, pg 36).
Tacket, D. (2006). What's a christian worldview? Focus on the Family. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/whats-a-christian-worldview/
Smith, G. T. (2011). Courage and calling: Embracing your God-given potential (Rev. ed.). InterVarsity Press Books.
Slick, M. (2008). What are some element's of a Christian worldview? CARM. https://carm.org/about-christianity/what-are-some-elements-of-a-christian-world-view/
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. (2001/2011). Crossway.