August 16, 2013
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OUR BELIEFS DETERMINE OUR BEHAVIOUR
by Rick Warren
The Bible tells us there are three reasons why it matters what you believe.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” The first reason why you need to know what you believe and why you believe it is because it shapes your life.
The Bible tells us that our beliefs determine our behavior. If there are things in your life you want to change, you don’t change them from the outside in. You change them from the inside out. You start with your thought life, not by trying to change external things.
Second, if you have a faulty worldview, it’s going to cause all kinds of unnecessary problems in your life.
The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed” (MSG). When you don’t have God’s truth and a correct worldview, you stumble all over yourself. But when you pay attention to God’s revelation, then you are blessed.
Do you want your life to be blessed? Just attend to the truth. Pay attention, and get your worldview in line with truth, not popular opinion.
The third reason is found in 1 Peter 3:15: “Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you. But do it courteously and respectfully” (AMP).
God expects you to not only know what you believe and why you believe it but also to be able to explain it to other people. Our world needs people who can explain effectively to others what they believe, because most of the people in the world don’t have a clue what they really believe, much less why they believe it.
God expects you to know what you believe and why you believe it and to explain it to other people. Whether they show it or not, the world is desperate to hear about something they can believe in. Sometimes, it just takes you being obedient and telling others about your worldview for them to hear truth.
Comments (1)
What we believe is our doctrine. People these days try to make the word “doctrine” a bad word, saying that it causes division among people and therefore is not a proper subject for conversation. But what we believe (as this article points out) is what governs our actions and word choices. As Christians we are not only told to be ready to share our beliefs, but to know how those beliefs stack up against the truths of God’s word. Such subjects as are being tossed around today: sexual purity, marriage, racism, etc. are spoken of in the Bible and the Christian must not misrepresent God and His word in their explanations of these things. If we disagree with God, we need to learn the truth and speak that only.Thanks for sharing this article.