Political Conventions and Worldviews

This week the Republican Party is having their convention in Tampa, Florida. This event will be followed by the Democrat Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Besides nominating each party’s candidate for President of the United States, conventions are a means for displaying and shoring up each party’s worldview. The election decides which worldview prevails.

A worldview is a comprehensive framework of what someone believes and thinks that determines how he or she behaves. A worldview has to do with our convictions. And everyone has a worldview. It is a part of being human. All of us need some creed to live by, some compass by which we find our directions in life.

Our views and attitudes about life affect all of the decisions we make about how we live. For example, when your marriage gets tough is divorce an option? What constitutes a real marriage in the first place? When taxes are unjust does this give you license to cheat? Will you fire an employee as soon as it is economically beneficial to you? The answers to these and all of the questions we face in life spring up from our worldview.

This is important because what we believe has a direct bearing how we deal with life’s issues—personally and politically. Most of the issues before us in the election stem from basic worldviews. Democrats in general believe government must encourage or even mandate remedies to social ills. Republicans generally believe the less government the better, encouraging personal responsibility. Most issues, even tax issues, boil down to moral issues. Michelle Obama was absolutely correct when she spoke to the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s General Conference in June. She said, “there is no better place than church” to get a bearing on political issues, because they are “essentially moral ones.”

But what determines our morals or worldview? As Christians our worldview must be forged and tested by Scripture. Sola Scriptura—Scripture alone must be the primary rule for what we believe and how we live. This means first of all that we must read the Bible and understand its doctrines. Then we must check our attitudes and actions to make sure they line up with the Word of God. When we fail to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) there will be reasons (usually not good ones) to act upon beliefs held by a culture that has long drifted away from a godly perspective on life.

For example, it is compassionate to give to those who have need. The early Christians who “were possessors of lands [plural] and houses [plural] sold them.” They then gave the profits to the apostles who “distributed to each as anyone had need (Acts 2:34, 35).” This was a voluntary giving to others. No one compelled the giving. The houses and lands belonged to those who owned them (Acts 5:4). But they gave out of a sense of grace and love. Would it have been right for the apostles to “tax” the rich to give to the poor? Is it right for the government to do so? When government takes more than it should, does it rob us of the chance to be gracious and compassionate? Is it right for a government to put its people and their children in debt? Our worldview determines our concept of the role of government in life, the responsibilities of the church and our own personal responsibilities.

The Bible is vital to our developing a biblical perspective on life. When the apostle Paul wrote to his young associate Timothy, he said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).”

Scripture, the Word of God, is profitable (cha-ching, cha-ching!) for doctrine; teaching us what to believe. It is profitable for reproof; showing us where we are wrong. And it is profitable for correction; helping us to get back to a biblical worldview so we can bring glory to God and good to others.

So if you have the time and inclination to watch the political conventions coming up in the next two weeks, look for the presentation of their worldview. But let me encourage you to develop a biblical worldview: “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God Romans 12:2).”

Sunset On Mars

It may not look like much. But just think about what you are seeing in the photograph above. NASA’s rover has taken a snapshot of a sunset from another world. Go ahead and look at it again. Fascinating isn’t it? It is even beautiful in its own stark way.

The photograph instantly made me think about God—the Creator. Genesis 1:1 declares “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And earth is a lot different than Mars. Mars is stark, empty, sterile and devoid of life. Earth is teeming with life. And the Creator planned it that way,

For thus says the Lord,
Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it in vain,
Who formed it to be inhabited:
“I am the Lord, and there is no other.

(Isaiah 45:18)

The Hebrew word translated “in vain” means empty, a waste, in other words like Mars. The earth was not made to be like Mars. The very manner in which the earth has been created and made suitable and fruitful for our habitation points to the great goodness of God. The Bible says that, “…since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Romans 1:20).” We can see God exists and that He is powerful by all that is made, like the sunset on Mars.

But God has also given us witness that He is good. Scripture declares “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17).” God is good. And The Bible reveals that “the goodness of God leads you to repentance (Romans 2:4).”

The next time you gaze up into the starry sky stop and think about how powerful God is. And the next time you bite into a juicy peach remember how good God is. And let your heart worship. “Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1).”

The Profit of Hard Work

Proverbs 14:23 proclaims an important work-life principle: “In all labor there is profit.” Or as the translation called The Message puts it, “Hard work always pays off.”  The verse promises that diligent effort under the blessings of God will always be profitable.

The “profit” that God’s Word speaks of is the result of your work when you are finished. It is the fruit of your labor, the gain that comes from your toil.  For many of us that profit arrives via our pay check. And pay checks are good and big pay checks are even better. But the profit that comes from our work does not have to be limited to monetary gain.

Here’s what I mean. A teacher receives a pay check but the minds of his or her students’ are enlightened. The farmer sells his crops and receives money, but people get to eat. Carpenters, electricians and plumbers build a house and a family has a home. Those in the medical profession bring healing, the police protect, and designers make things beautiful and functional.

Our goal in work should be to bring glory to God and good to other people. In this way the profit from our hard work can be realized not only immediately but also for years. Your work can become a blessing to your employer, your family, your co-workers, your customers, your neighbors and even to people you may never meet. We can be assured that the profit will come—somehow, somewhere, someday to somebody. How can we be assured of this? God promised!

Make the decision to see your work as bigger than the work at hand or the pay check at the end of the week. Whether you are getting paid to work or you are a volunteer providing an act of service; whether your work seems insignificant or unappreciated, God sees what you are doing. “Hard work always pays off.” That’s a promise you can take to the bank.

Some Thoughts About Christ

In chemistry, he turned water into wine.

In biology, he turned five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed over 5000 people.

In physics, he walked on water.

In medicine, he cured the sick without administering a single drug.

In psychology, he helped put people back into their right mind.

In religion, he is the only way to be saved and gain access to God.

Amid the deepest of human misery, disbelief and shame, he is called Savior.

The greatest human in history, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had no servants, but millions call him Lord.

In history, he is the beginning and end of God’s plan of salvation.

He committed no crime, yet he died for the sins of the whole world.

With only purity of heart towards God, he surrendered his life for you and me and God has raised him up from the dead.

In government, he will return as King of kings and Lord of lords and rule the world in righteousness and there will be peace.

Jesus Christ loves you more that your father and mother. He loves you more than anyone ever will. He loves you with the deep, faithful, sacrificial and enriching love of God

He is offering to every soul that trusts him forgiveness, peace of heart, joy and life everlasting.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:16, 17).”