“It’s really true that the earth is the Lord’s,” so says Joel Belz, founder and editor of “World Magazine.” He went on to say that a Christian worldview should affect every sphere of life for the believer. At the most recent Pastor’s Fellowship of Greater Greenville, sponsored by Ligonier Ministries and Mountain Bridge Bible Fellowship, Belz called for a measured approach to developing a Christian worldview.

The development of a Christian worldview should be more akin to masonry than formula. Much of the time, Christians are formulaic in their approach to life. Too often we are given twelve steps to happiness or ten rules for raising our children. The pitch is that if we follow the prescribed formula, we will achieve the desired goal. Many of us are familiar with a “check-mark brand” of Christianity. Discipleship tools come complete with boxes for us to check off: had daily quiet time; took bible to church; met with small group this week; prayed for at least one lost soul; attended worship. As Belz pointed to these aspects of contemporary Christianity, I was reminded of the gold stars I so desperately worked for in Sunday school as a child. His next comment was poignantly timely as the same thought entered my mind: “this type of thinking leads to a kind of legalism.”

If we are not to be formulaic in our approach to Christian worldview, what are we to do? Even the question smacks of formula! Belz called for a tedious, slow, and humble development of said worldview. We must wrestle with the great truths of Scripture and seek to bring them to bear upon the great realities with which we are faced. We must go down dead end roads at times and then turn back. We must be prepared to engage in trial and error. We must take two steps forward and we will take one step back at times. That’s the nature of sinful, though redeemed creatures and their efforts in such a worthy task.

Belz was quick to add that we do need to be real and not merely theoretical. We must know what it means to have a Christian worldview and live in light of it. In other words, we can’t be so nebulous in our approach that neither we nor anyone else knows what we are talking about. Balance is required. We must not approach the task too mechanically, but we must not be vague. We must begin to put blocks in the wall of our Christian worldview.

This thought brings us back to the issue of masonry: blocks; no, stones. Building a block wall can be rather mechanical, formulaic, and indeed monotonous. Each block looks the same and is placed in the wall one beside or on top of another with little if any variation in its placement. The mason thinks little when building such a wall. He could build it in his sleep it’s so routine.

Contrast that dynamic with building a stone wall. Each stone is different and the mason has to weigh carefully where and how to place them. At times, stones will be placed in the wall only to be torn out because they don’t fit. Sizes, shapes, symmetry, and an aesthetically appealing look must be considered carefully in the construction of this wall. Speaking from experience, Belz noted that constructing this kind of wall is eminently more satisfying than erecting a block wall. One has to step back and ponder. Each stone has to be weighed and placed with purposeful trial and error. Such is the development of a Christian worldview.