Knowing from a Biblical Worldview
“Every Christian should know a little bit about almost everything; some Christians should also know a lot about many things; others should strive to know all there is to know about a very few things.” James Sire from Discipleship of the Mind, page 137.With all due respect to Mr. Sire, I would make one change to this statement. I think that all Christians should strive to know all there is to know about a very few things. It is my personal belief that Christians should strive to be the best in whatever field of endeavor they find themselves in. The Church (as in the people, not the buildings) should be the standard-setter, the benchmark for excellence in every arena.
The question of course is how does one come to know as a Christian? In other words, how do you become an expert and maintain a Biblical worldview? After all, many fields of study have made a serious departure from the belief that God exists, that He is Who He says He is, and that we are to live in submission to His will and ways.
Again, we turn to Mr. Sire’s book. In it, he gives six outstanding principles or attitudes for taking a Christian approach to any field of study or expertise.
So if you are disciple of Jesus Christ and want to be an expert teacher, plumber, doctor, construction worker, pastor, actor, or whatever, check out the following:
1. We need to know what the Scriptures say about how we should act toward one another and what kind of character we should be developing. This will inform everything we do, regardless of what it is and will serve as the reference point for all our preparation and study.
2. First comes an attitude, not a method. We must be humble before God and silent before both God and others. This attitude of humility will help you learn in a right way, not just the right things.
3. Understand the context of the issues you are concerned with. Probe deeply into the background of the issue/field of study or expertise. It is important to know the history of a thing.
4. Know what Christians interested in the same issues are thinking. Come into dialog with these brothers and sisters on every level availble to you. This may include interviews, books, papers, seminars, whatever.
5. Be a humble searcher before you are a teacher or activist. Obviously, you will often find yourself in the position of acting before your knowledge is complete. That is fine. Just make sure you maintain the attitude of humility and a teachable spirit in all parts of your journey.
6. Respect all others as image-bearers of God. As you do become a teacher or activist and are making changes to your life and the world around you based on what you are learning, always maintain an attitude of respect towards others. In other words; no moral program, or spiritual principle takes precendence over the dignity of any person–whether they agree with us or not.
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This article was orginally posted at Joe's Personal Blog. The Peregrin Pages.
