A Christian Worldview Shapes a Student's Thoughts

A Christian worldview is based on Scripture. The Bible teaches those who follow Christ to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), to put off their sinful nature, and to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

Dwelling on what is true, good, and beautiful is good for a student’s mind and heart. An education from the perspective of this Biblical worldview will develop the student into a deep thinker who will value what God values and live his life as a testament to Christ’s work within him.

What might the result of an education look like when all a student is taught is by the world’s standards and values? The world is obsessed with self, and if all a student’s thoughts are directed toward himself, he will be educated for all the wrong reasons; he will be educated to pursue the world’s goal, which is becoming more and more about whatever satisfies the idol called self. Such a student lacks eternal perspective and focus on the temporal, his own personal satisfaction. He does not believe he has any need for Christ’s sacrifice because he boasts in himself and refuses to be humbled. The world has little regard for thinkers, only followers and people whose truth is whatever they feel it should be at any given moment.

Quite the opposite of the message of the world, a student’s thoughts ought to direct him to Truth. He ought to think Biblically, according to what is laid out in Scripture. He should hold up every new idea to Scripture, and not to the perverted ideologies of the world. He should discern Truth solely from the Word, to better know his Savior and what He has revealed in Scripture, for God provided His Word for that purpose. Those who have trusted in Christ have the mind of Christ, and ought to turn to Him alone to find Truth.

Having the mind of Christ gives a value and meaning to learning that others find meaningless. A Christian should learn for the sake of learning, versus trying to get by, by putting in minimum effort for a passing grade. If God created everything, and if a person wants to have the mind of Christ, he will find intrinsic value in learning anything.

The Bible says in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” On the contrary, someone who is learning from a non-Christian, secular worldview will see learning as a utilitarian endeavor, and education will simply be a means to an end. Temporal things, such as academic knowledge and success, will mean more to him than the wisdom given directly from the Lord.

A student who has grown up Christian but does not have a Christian worldview will arrive on a college campus seeking to do well in his studies for the purpose of gaining something for himself. It could be a certain degree or career, or the full “college experience.” His intentions may be good, but without a focus on God, he would be doing this for all the wrong reasons. There is an unfortunate potential that, without God as His authority, he will become distracted by the things of the world and be further led away from any objective Truth he had once claimed to know.

In contrast, a student who devoutly holds to a Christian worldview will arrive on a college campus with the goal of learning about God and the world He created. Unlike the other student, he has an eternal purpose for being there besides getting a degree for self-satisfying purposes. He values and sets his mind on things that are above, and trusts in Christ for his salvation. He seeks to learn as much as he can so he can then go out and share the knowledge and wisdom he gained, whether it be by discipling other believers, bringing up his children, or sharing the Gospel with those who have not yet heard. He has a meaningful reason to pursue academic study and will think deeply about what he is taught for the purpose of fully understanding it.

This week’s post is the first in a five-part series on the importance of a Christian worldview in education. Read the series introduction here!