I recently watched an interview with Dr. George Barna, Director of Research for the Cultural Research Centre at Arizona Christian University.  He said that a child’s worldview is essentially formed by the age of thirteen.

What is a worldview?  A worldview is a particular philosophy of life or conception of the world.  In other words, a worldview is the way in which you look at the world.  It’s the lens through which you interpret all your experiences and through which you make decisions. Everybody holds a worldview, even if they can’t articulate it.  It affects how you live your life because it informs your ethics and your ethics lead to real-life actions.  You do what you believe.  Most people settle into a comfort zone with the beliefs they adopted during their first twelve years of life.

What is a Biblical Worldview?

Having a Christian worldview does not mean what it used to.  ‘Wokeness’ has entered the church.  The American Worldview Inventory 2022 found just 37% of Christian Pastors have a biblical worldview.  A biblical worldview is thinking and acting like Jesus. 

The Seven Cornerstones A Biblical Worldview is Built On

1. An orthodox, biblical understanding of God
2. All human beings are sinful by nature; every choice we make has moral considerations and consequences.
3. The consequences of our sin can only be forgiven and eliminated through Jesus Christ.  That forgiveness is available only by our personal, sincere acknowledgement and confession of our sins and complete reliance on His grace for the forgiveness of those sins.
4. The entire Bible is true, reliable and relevant, making it the best moral guide for every person, in all situations.
5. Absolute moral truth exists – and those truths are defined by God, described in the Bible, and are unchanging across time and cultures.
6. The ultimate purpose of human life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul.
7. Success on Earth is best understood as consistent obedience to God – in thoughts, words and actions. 

“These rules for life were provided to us by a Creator who loves us and wants us to succeed even more than we do,’ Barna noted.  ‘What’s so shocking about these beliefs is how basic and simple they are – almost like an outline of what used to be the Sunday school lessons shared with elementary school children.  These are not advanced theological principles; they’re straightforward principles of how to make the most of the gift of life.” 

How Do You Teach Children a Biblical Worldview?

• Teach children the Bible is the true, infallible word of God. 
• Use the Bible as the final authority by asking questions like, ‘What does the Bible say about this?  Think biblically. 
• Teach that the Bible is relevant and applies to every part of children’s lives.  Make it personal.
• Teach doctrine.  Use the words sin, grace, mercy and sacrifice and explain what they mean. 
• Teach about the life-changing power of the Gospel.  Everyone needs salvation.
• Live it!  Teach children by example and stand firm in the faith. 

Teaching children a Biblical worldview is essential in building their faith and in their becoming followers of Jesus Christ who know how to confront culture with the truth of the Bible.  They will know why they are here, where they are going, how to live and how to love others.

Dr. Bana’s book, Raising Spiritual Champions: Nurturing Your Child’s Heart, Mind and Soul will be released on 5^th September, 2023.