My worldview has been shaped by my lived experience both in Pakistan and in the United States, as well as the biblical worldview in which I have been made a recipient of God’s free gift of salvation resulting in the transformation of my very being by the renewing of my mind (Romans 12:2). Therefore, my worldview drives my decisions and determines my actions regularly. Even when I fail to measure up to what I believe to be true and admirable, my worldview remains the basis of how I act, speak, think, and interact with others.
Cultural Right and Wrong
In an ever-changing world, my worldview grounds me to the center of my being where Christ the redeemer resides, so that the culture I live in may not dilute my values and impair my judgement. In a society where the truth is sacrificed upon the altar of compromise and where right and wrong are constantly redefined, my worldview keeps me consistent with what is true, pure, and holy according to the Scriptures. For the Bible is my compass to navigate through this treacherous terrain of life (2 Tim. 3:16). It has already prescribed for me the absolute moral truth (Ps. 102:25-57; Malachi 3:6) by which I try to live.
God-Shaped Hole
My worldview tells me that the perfect and loving God created a perfect and enjoyable habitat for man, however, when sin broke into God’s creation. He did not give up and forsake it, rather in the midst of this upheaval, God stepped into our reality as a man, Jesus Christ, to redeem and restore both humanity and the world. So ever since the fall (Gen. 3), man has been looking for ways to fill a “God-shaped hole” in his soul, not knowing that true joy, peace, and tranquility cannot be found within, in nature, or elsewhere but only in knowing God. Nothing can truly satisfy the deepest cravings of our being, except the very creator for whom we were created. Therefore, the Bible determines the reason and purpose of my existence, to worship and glorify God, (1 Pet. 4:11) and to enjoy Him completely here and in eternity (1 Cor. 10:31).
Our Broken World and Its Restoration
I see myself in the image in which I was created, with complete awareness that I am flawed and only saved by His grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8). I see others in their imperfection being loved by God even when they do not know Him (Roman 5:6), and I see the broken world around me waiting for restoration. “The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present” (Romans 8:22).
Worldview Filters Impurities
My worldview pushes away the strong urge to please the world and draws in the strength to stand firm (1 Cor. 10:13) on the truths of God. It defines who I am. It is the lens that I look through to determine and define the reality of life, the reality that we have limited time on earth (Job 33:4; 14:5-7); the reality of death, an inevitable physical reality that we all die, (Ps. 82:7); and the reality of hereafter, a spiritual reality of God’s judgment (Heb. 9:27). Thus, I strive to live in holiness seeking the fellowship of the triune God. It informs my understanding that though one day He will make everything new, the restoration of our being and the world that God created is ongoing even right now.
God is Making Everything New
He is renewing everything through the power of His Word. The day of the Lord when everyone will bow before Jesus the redeemer (Philippian 2:10-11, Revelation 6:15-17) is nearer than ever before and the door of forgiveness and salvation is wide open for all. Therefore, I am compelled to live out my faith to make it known to others that the love of the creator God is poured down from heaven and is available to everyone equally. Even now, the Holy Spirit is intimately and actively working to bring forth transformation in our lives through missionally living according to the plan of God for me, others around me, and the world. Fundamentally, my worldview is how I choose to live my life, how and in whom I invest my time, and how I respond to various trials, challenges, and situations on a daily basis. As my personal worldview immerses into my biblical worldview, my Christian identity is forged because God is the center of my being and Christ is my redeemer. As a result, I am becoming more aware of my nothingness and of Christ’s preeminence (Col. 1:18) in everything.
