Giving Kids a Worldview That Brings Significance
Chapter 4
Love Equips
Giving Kids a Worldview That Brings Significance
Surfing looks easy. How hard can it be to stand on a board and ride down a wave? I (Sean) remember thinking this shortly before I went surfing the first time as a junior high student. My friends tried to warn me and prepare me for the challenges of learning how to surf, but I recall thinking, No worries. I got this.
Surfing may have looked easy, but I got totally pummeled that day. I couldn’t even make it out to the break because I kept getting tossed and turned by the white water. Battered and bruised, I gave up sooner than I would like to admit.
Because my friends cared, they tried to equip me ahead of time for the challenges that lay before me. When danger is imminent, the loving thing to do is to both warn someone and help equip them for the approaching encounter. If this is true for learning to surf, it is markedly true when it comes to the challenges our students face in trying to navigate today’s culture. If we love the youth of this world, we will take seriously the task of equipping them with the necessary tools so they can thrive in their faith.
Something Timeless
Why Equipping Youth Is Vital
As we have seen, there are a number of reasons young people choose to disengage with the church. But at its heart, the issue is a matter of worldview. In light of our research and experience, we believe the primary reason Gen Z disconnects from the church is our failure to equip them with a biblical worldview that empowers them to understand and navigate today’s culture.
So many young Christians are ill prepared to face the moral, intellectual, relational, and spiritual challenges that confront them daily. They don’t have an anchor to help ground them amid the cultural chaos, and as a result, many find their faith shipwrecked on the shores of our increasingly secular culture.
Here is a stark reality: if we do not consciously equip young Christians with a biblical worldview, they will unconsciously absorb the ideas of today’s culture. And because of information overload, Gen Zers are exposed to more competing worldviews—and at earlier ages—than any generation in history.
In the last chapter, we talked about how important relationships are for building trust with a digital generation. But young people also need a worldview through which they can make sense of information bombardment. In this chapter, we explore the nature of worldview, unpack some unique worldview challenges we face in equipping this generation, and offer some practical steps for helping young people think and live Christianly.
What Is a Worldview?
Worldview may sound like a fancy word. But when I (J. Warner) first started teaching students in my youth group, I described worldview as simply a view of the world that answers three critical questions: (1) How did we get here?—Origin; (2) Why is everything so messed up?—Predicament; and (3) How can we fix it?—Resolution.
Christianity, for example, provides the following answers: (1) We are the special creation of a Holy God, created in His image. (2) We are fallen, rebellious creatures living in an equally fallen universe that “groans and suffers the pains of childbirth” (Romans 8:22 NASB). Because we are sinful creatures, we are separated from God and often reject His guidance and violate His laws. The solution? (3) All creation will be restored and reunited with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ, who paid the price for our sin and offered forgiveness through His death on the cross.
Every worldview offers its own responses to these foundational questions, forming a belief system that also answers some of the other big questions:
It might be helpful to think of a worldview as a mental map of reality. Like a map that helps navigate physical terrain, a worldview is a mental map that helps navigate nonphysical reality. Yet, as helpful as this illustration can be, we want to be careful not to mitigate worldview simply to the thinking part of our being. Worldview is not just about the mind—it is also about the orientation of the heart. Simply put, a worldview is a fundamental commitment to reality that shapes how we live.
Everyone has a worldview. It is impossible not to be committed to a certain view of the nature of the world and make choices in light of that commitment. But there are some pressing questions many people have not deeply considered: What is my worldview? Why do I see the world as I do? Is it helping me navigate reality accurately? For many people—and especially young people—their worldview consists of untested assumptions and practices they have absorbed from the wider culture.
If we are going to help young people cultivate a Christian worldview, we need to consider what Gen Zers say they believe. Let us begin with asking some questions. Take a minute to guess what percentage of young people today hold the following beliefs, before you skip to the answers a few paragraphs below:
1. _____% Believe gender is how a person feels, not their birth sex.
2. _____% Believe happiness is defined by financial success.
3. _____% Believe lying is morally wrong.
4. _____% Believe science and church teachings are complementary.
5. _____% Believe many religions can lead to eternal life, as there is no one true religion.
Before we offer the correct percentages, have you considered how worldview connects from beliefs to behavior? For instance, if a young person believes that many religions lead to eternal life, then why live boldly as a follower of Jesus? If a young person believes science and church teachings are in conflict, who is he or she really going to consider the authority? If a young person believes happiness comes from financial success, then will he or she be able to embrace the Christian message of sacrifice and obedience?
Here is the point: ideas have consequences. What we believe about the world shapes how we live in the world. The following diagram is a “worldview triangle” we have found helpful in grasping the nature and importance of worldviews:
Behaviors are simply the choices that we make. Our behavior is how we act, such as how we treat people, spend money, or use our time.
Values inform our behaviors, which are the things we consider important. A student who values education will work hard at school and save money for college. If you value good health, you will exercise and eat good food.
Worldview determines what we value. For instance, if you hold that people are made in the image of God (worldview), then you will believe they have inherent worth (value) and thus treat them with dignity (behavior).
Our worldview shapes our values, which in turn influences our behavior. And as we explored in the last chapter, worldviews are primarily shaped and learned through relationships.
Here are the answers to the above questions about Gen Z:
33% Believe gender is how a person feels, not their birth sex.
49% Believe happiness is defined by financial success.
34% Believe lying is morally wrong.
28% Believe science and church teachings are complementary.
58% Believe many religions can lead to eternal life, as there is no one true religion.
According to Barna research, people who label themselves “Christian” live no differently from those who do not adopt such a label. In other words, there is no net-positive change in someone’s behavior for simply identifying as a Christian.
I (J. Warner) will never forget a young man I met named Santiago. I was assigned to a surveillance team and had just watched Santiago commit a bank robbery. After arresting him, I transported Santiago to our jail for booking. On the way back to jail, he told me he was a Christian. Even he understood the contradiction between the label he embraced and the behavior he exhibited.
Santiago was like many professing Christians who adopt the label but don’t live according to the Bible’s teachings. However, within the broader segment of people who consider themselves Christians, there are some who live differently. Who are they? They are those who hold a biblical worldview.
According to David Kinnaman, “People who have a biblical worldview are much more likely to act like Jesus because they see such things as life, people, and crises differently than most people do.” In other words, if we want to help young Christians live like Jesus, we need to help them see the world as Jesus did—we need to equip them with a biblical understanding of reality, and help them develop spiritual practices that engrain those beliefs into their lives and character.
Before we look at practical strategies for strengthening the biblical worldview of young people, consider the following four overarching principles:
Recognize the Compartmentalization of Faith
Today’s biggest challenge in teaching worldview to young people is the way our increasingly secular culture fosters the compartmentalization of faith. Our society thinks it is fine to worship on Sunday at church or to discuss faith in the home, but religious beliefs are supposed to be kept private. Our culture rejects the notion that faith should influence how we think about politics, business, or sports—faith is simply considered a matter of personal preference.
This compartmentalization of faith has also seeped into the church. As a Biola University undergrad, I (Sean) remember students packing into the gym for the final chapel of the year. Before worship and the message, a commission was spoken for the students heading to mission trips for the summer. I recall thinking, Why are we just praying for students going on spiritual mission trips? What about those working as interns at various businesses? Isn’t that a mission field too? Without realizing it, the leaders were encouraging a compartmentalization of the Christian life into the spiritual (mission trip) and secular (job). Yet according to the Christian worldview, everything has a spiritual component and the whole world is a mission field. We simply cannot separate the two.
This is why we so appreciate the theme at Biola University: “Think Biblically about Everything.” In other words, the mission of Biola is to equip students to explore what it means to live out their chosen profession as a Christian. This approach is what every Christian university should be doing. Every church should be making these kinds of connections too. The sad reality, though, is that millions of young Christians have heard their share of Bible-based sermons but have no idea how to live out their faith beyond the walls of the church. A massive fracture exists between their spiritual beliefs and their daily lives. No wonder so many disconnect from the church when it no longer serves their emotional or relational needs.
Recognize the Connection between Faith and Knowledge
“Christianity is a knowledge tradition.” Does that sound strange to you? In the church, we talk about our beliefs more commonly as matters of faith than matters of knowledge. Yet quite interestingly, the word knowledge (or a derivate such as know) appears more frequently in Scripture than faith. Biblically speaking, we are called to trust God with faith. But this faith is not blind—it is based on what we know to be true.
Most people agree that history, math, and science are disciplines that deliver knowledge. And yet Scripture teaches that we can also know things about God. That’s right, we have knowledge of God (Proverbs 9:10) just as we have knowledge of events in the past or mathematical theorems. We can know that we have eternal life (1 John 5:13).
Our job is to equip the next generation with knowledge of God. But that is not enough: we must also help young Christians to know that they know truth. Let us explain. Our churches are filled with people who know truth, but how many can explain how they know their beliefs are true? Not many. The numbers are even less with Gen Z. This is important because confidence comes not from merely knowing truth, but from knowing that you know truth.
Imagine two different students taking a test. Both have knowledge of the material, but one student studies and prepares for the test, while the other doesn’t. Which one is more likely to cultivate the right instincts and mark the correct answers during the test? Clearly the one who studies and not only knows truth but also knows that she knows truth.
And here’s the key: the one who studied learned the right answers, but she also habitually developed an intuitive sense of the truth and the confidence to respond correctly during the pressure of the exam.
The same is true for our relationship with God. We must help young Christians come to know that they know truth—through both correct information and formative practices—so they can live out their beliefs with clarity, consistency, and conviction.
Recognize the Difference between Competing Worldviews
Endless counterfeits vie for the allegiance of this generation. In the last chapter, we considered relational counterfeits. In this brief section, we are describing worldview counterfeits. Here are three of the more pressing ones for Gen Z:
Naturalism is the belief that God does not exist and natural forces are sufficient to explain everything. This would include worldviews such as secular humanism, Marxism, and existentialism. According to naturalism, there is no God, soul, or other supernatural beings. Naturalism is hugely influential in universities, media, and popular culture. Twice as many Gen Zers identify as atheist compared to the US adult population.
Pantheism is the belief that all is god and distinctions are artificial. Pantheistic beliefs can be seen in modern New Age practices such as channeling and astrology. New Age beliefs have been around a long time, but they are being made increasingly palatable for younger generations.
Individualism is the view that life is about me. The purpose of life is to be authentic to yourself and to live according to your feelings without obligation to anyone or anything beyond the self. Sin involves being inauthentic, and salvation comes from discovering “yourself.” Individualism is particularly alluring to Gen Z because they have been raised with music playlists, newsfeeds, streaming content, and consumer goods being available whenever, wherever, and however they want them. This teaches teens that they are the center of the universe and that reality will tailor itself to their needs.
Something Timely
There are many more worldviews to consider, such as postmodernism, Islam, hedonism, consumerism, pluralism, and so on. With information bombardment, this generation experiences countless belief systems at their fingertips. We must help young people identify false worldviews that compete for both their hearts and their minds (see Colossians 2:8).
Recognize the Importance of Intentionality
One thing we know about equipping youth with a biblical worldview is that it will not happen by accident. Although circumstances vary based on our relationship with students (teacher, youth pastor, parent, mentor, etc.), we each must be thoughtful in our approach.
Bestselling author and Christian leadership expert John Maxwell once wrote, “Nobody finishes well by accident.” Results are dependent on our plan for success. If we hope to ready students with a Christian worldview, we need to be intentional. In chapter 6, we will offer a strategy for training with intentionality, one that will guide your efforts as a parent, youth leader, or Christian teacher.
Steps for Equipping Young Christians with a Biblical Worldview
With these four foundational principles in mind, here are a few practical suggestions for equipping this generation with a biblical worldview.
Shift to Worldview Thinking
The first step in equipping this generation is shifting our own thinking about faith. We must refuse to compartmentalize our spiritual beliefs to the religious aspect of our lives. There is a Christian way to think about everything. That’s right, everything.
Colossians 2:3 says that in Christ are “hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Knowledge and wisdom begin by properly understanding God’s character and being in relationship with Him. Once we understand the world, and our place in it, we can see that God is ruler over all. As the Dutch philosopher and theologian Abraham Kuyper once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine’!”
For example, there is a Christian way to approach health. The Bible teaches that we are both body and soul (Genesis 2:7; Matthew 10:28). Thus, healthy living involves caring for both the body and the soul. We care for the body by getting sleep, eating well, and exercising. And we care for the soul through solitude, confession, and prayer.
There is also a biblical way to approach government. The framers of the United States separated the government into three main branches—legislative, judicial, and executive. Why? One contributing factor was their recognition of the fallen state of humankind. They understood that power corrupts and so they spread it out to minimize the effects of human sinfulness. By contrast, Marxism fails largely because it assumes greed comes from inequality in the distribution of material goods in society rather than the fallenness of the human heart, as Jesus taught (John 2:24–25; Mark 7:21–22).
We must begin to recognize that there is a Christian way to think about everything.
Grow Your Own Worldview
We can pass on to the next generation only what we have first inculcated into our own lives through both correct thinking and right practice. If we want to help young Christians develop their worldview, an important first step is to build our own. Consider the following practical ways to help you think more deeply about theology, worldview, and apologetics:
Something Timeworthy
Help Students Practice Their Faith
Equipping students with a biblical worldview is not a matter of mind transformation alone. We all have had the experience of failing to live out something we believe. Why does this happen? The answer is because we are not merely thinking beings.
As James K. A. Smith observed, our wants, desires, and longings are at the core of our identity. In other words, we do not act simply from what we believe, but also from what we love. This is why we defined a worldview not merely as a set of beliefs, but also as an orientation of the heart. Building a worldview involves learning how to properly love the things of God.
As our friend Jonathan Morrow said, students need the “Three Rs”: reasons, relationships, and rhythms. We can influence these directly—how they think (reasons), who they are with (relationships), and what they practice (rhythms)—and indirectly influence what they love and desire as their character is formed. Practices are key to that.
Because love is a virtue that is often learned through practice, by providing young people with experiences, we can help connect their hearts and minds. Consider these options:
Engage in Worldview Conversations
In the last chapter, we encouraged you to have conversations with young people. This is critical because safe dialogue with a trusted adult is the best relational medium to learn to think biblically. Because of the ubiquity of information, this generation needs to know how to reason more than to simply learn what to think.
This is best done through asking thoughtful questions (and, of course, being a good listener). We hope you will take seriously the challenge and opportunity of engaging youth in thoughtful conversations. When you do, keep a few things in mind:
Jesus provided His followers with the biblical worldview. As the source of truth, He understood that His claims affected every aspect of reality, and He helped His followers practice what He taught them. He shared meals with the people He met and engaged them in meaningful spiritual conversations. He asked dozens of questions, even though He knew the answers, and led people to truth and to faith. If we want to equip young people with a biblical worldview, we must simply follow His example.