What’s the problem?
My heart breaks from all the division in our world. There is so much finger-pointing and blame-shifting; specific people groups are targeted for all of humanity’s problems recorded in history; racism “solved” with more racism; violence labeled as peace; lying encouraged and celebrated; hate is the new revolution. So, I ask, what’s the problem? What’s the real problem with society?
It’s quite simple. You just have to be willing to listen and look for yourself. This problem is in each person. And it can be observed daily.
Why Do You Believe…?
How do you view the world? Here’s a few questions to think about in order to answer: Do you see beyond what you want? Is the well-being of others important to you, even when they want and believe something different than you? Are people unique and different? Do you put people into groups or categories? Do you like being labeled, grouped, and categorized? Are people innately good? Are there absolutes? What is truth? What is freedom to you?
If you’ve read some of my other articles, you know where I stand in answering all of these questions. The point in asking you these questions is to get you thinking about how they all relate to the way you view the world. And to make you think about why you view the world the way you do. How you view the world may be influenced by upbringing, family, friends, work, school, religion, morals, beliefs and values, life experiences, and many other factors. These are variables. Our worldview can change as the things I’ve listed change. Right now, I want you to take a few minutes and think about why YOU believe what you believe. What shapes the way you view the world today and leads you to hold to your beliefs? Has this changed over the years? Why?
A Radical Worldview
The problem I’m about to share is nothing new. I only want to discuss it in the context of having a worldview. And make no mistake, all of us have a worldview. It’s why we act and speak the way we do. But is there a worldview that we should consider over our own? A worldview that is constant and unchangeable. A worldview that can truly lead to truth, peace, happiness, equality, hope, and freedom? I believe there is.
We all want what we want. We’re born selfish. That sets each of us on an equal playing field no matter the color of skin, race, gender, occupation, or any other reason. Not one of us is better than another. And there is only one worldview that declares this truth. It is a biblical worldview.
A biblical worldview tells us that all are sinful. When we look at the world this way, we are able to better understand why there is murder, greed, lust, deception, stealing, jealousy, and all kinds of evil. When we choose to view the world in people groups instead, then we begin to associate certain kinds of sins to those entire groups, even though not all individuals in those groups are the same. It simply becomes an endless blame cycle where a solution is never reachable.
Sin is an individual problem. We cannot group a whole race into a category with one or two sins. Each person has their own sin problems. Sin is not a group or systemic (color of skin, rich/poor, man/woman, adult/child, vaccinated/nonvaccinated, mask/no-mask, cop/noncop, etc.) issue. It’s an individual heart issue.
One Name, One Solution
So, what’s the solution? Something that has always baffled me is that there are those who believe mankind can become better on their own. I have a bachelor’s degree in history. There isn’t a single era I can point to where I believe mankind was showing some progress towards eradicating sin. Don’t you think, after thousands of years, if it were possible for mankind to solve all their problems, they would’ve done it by now? The same types of problems have been in the world from the beginning of mankind. And they will be in this world until the end.
But there is hope. There is a solution—one that is outside of this world. His name is Jesus Christ. He is the one and only Son of God who came down to our level (fully God and fully man, but without sin) and died on the cross for all our sins. And God the Father raised Him to life after three days—defeating sin and death.
He did this to save us from ourselves and from our small-minded worldviews. A biblical worldview takes us beyond ourselves. It says we are not the center of the universe; Jesus is. We are finite; Jesus is infinite. We are the created; Jesus is the Creator. We are mutable; Jesus is immutable. Jesus is set apart. We are equally sinful, but, by God’s grace, we are also equally loved. God displayed this love in Jesus dying on the cross for all.
There is only one name above every other name. And there is only one solution to mankind’s problems. His name is Jesus.
Next Steps
Where to go from here? Maybe you believe in Jesus but still have a small-minded worldview. Take some time in prayer and ask Jesus to transform your worldview. Ask Him to help you make Him the center and to help you think otherly. Humble yourself to Jesus’ teaching. Get to know Jesus. He is all about relationship.
Maybe today you don’t believe or agree with anything in this article. I only ask, what do you have to lose? If you spoke with individuals from a group you’ve categorized in your mind, would each person act and believe in the same way? I think you know the answer to that. When we group people together and declare that they are all the same (in their beliefs, values, and actions), we take away their uniqueness. I’m sure, like the majority of people, you like to consider yourself unique. So, why take that away from someone else?
A biblical worldview is not far-fetched. I would actually argue that all other worldviews are far-fetched because they place humanity, or a specific group of people (elites), in the place of God and declare that they know what’s best for everyone. What places them above others? How would they know what’s best for humanity when they have the same problems with sin as every person on this planet? That’s like two people sinking in quicksand trying to “help” each other get out. It’s impossible. The two people need someone above and outside the quicksand to be saved. That person, for all of us, is Jesus Christ.
One name, one solution, and one worldview that can change the world. Seek Jesus and your worldview will radically change.
