The truth is, what we believe about who we are, where we came from, and where we’re going actually has a huge impact on how we live. The world often tells us that nothing really matters. But Jesus invites us into a very different reality, one that gives meaning to even the smallest of things.
Now, this can lead us to ask:
Do my choices in life truly reflect what I believe?
Or am I living between two worldviews?
How am I living?
Random (Nothing really matters)
Core beliefs:
No one created me.
I am here by accident.
I have no defined identity.
I have no destiny.
Freedom is the ability to choose anything.
What’s my road manual?
– There’s nothing after this life, so I’m going to make choices that satisfy my desires here.
– I define myself — who I am and what I’m about. It’s up to me to prove I’m worthy of existence.
– What I do with my body doesn’t really matter. It’s incidental.
– Love is whatever makes me feel good, and satisfies my needs.
– Suffering is meaningless.
– It’s up to me to figure out the plan for my life. I’m in charge. I decide the meaning of my life.
– My mistakes are mine. No one can fix them.
– I’m on my own.
Intentional (Everything matters)
Core beliefs:
God intentionally loved me into being, creating me in His image and likeness.
Nothing about me was a mistake.
I am irreplaceable.
He gave me a destiny – to be fully alive with Him and others in heaven.
Freedom is the choice to say ‘yes’ to my destiny.
What’s my road manual?
– I’m made for eternal life and love; I can choose to live for a reality greater than myself and the here and now.
– God holds me in being at every moment. He never stops choosing me. I’m His son or daughter.
– What I do with my body matters, because I’m not something to be used — but someone to be loved.
– Love is a choice, not just a feeling. It’s choosing the good of the other.
– Jesus enters into my suffering with me and for me, and can transform it if I let Him.
– God has given me a unique mission of love, filled with meaning. I can choose to live this adventure of life with Him.
– My sins do affect others. But Jesus’ mercy is bigger than my sins. He can restore, transform, and heal if I let Him.
– I belong to God’s family. I’m made to be in relationship with Him and others.
Originally printed in IMPRINT Magazine Spring 2020
