“There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death.”Proverbs 14:12 (GW)
There are countless worldviews—beliefs you build your life on. Those beliefs come at you from books, media, classrooms, the people around you, music, advertising, and more. Most of the time, we don’t even think about our worldview. But you need to—because your worldview influences how you see yourself and other people, how you make decisions, and just about every other aspect of how you live.
Here are some worldviews that are popular in today’s culture. See which ones you recognize in the people around you, and maybe even in yourself.
Materialism. This worldview can be summarized with the word more—more, more, more. Materialism says that the only thing that really matters in life is the acquisition of things. Materialists confuse values with valuables. They think, “If I have more, I’m worth more.”
Jesus loved to challenge conventional wisdom, including the idea of materialism. He once said, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15 ESV). In other words, you can’t judge your life by how much you’ve got because the greatest things in life aren’t actually things.
Individualism. We live in a serve-yourself world that says, “It’s all about you!” Advertising tells us things like, “Live your truth,” “Be your own hero,” and “You deserve it.” It’s a self-centered, individualistic, “me first” way of living.
But Jesus taught, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it” (Matthew 16:25 NLT).Jesus says you only begin living your life when you start giving it away. Significance in life doesn’t come from individual status, salary, or success; it comes from serving God and serving others.
Hedonism. Hedonism urges, “Do whatever feels good!” Hedonism is simply the desire that says, “The most important thing in life is how I feel. If I feel good, then it’s good; if I feel bad, then it’s bad.” The hedonist lives for comfort, pleasure, fun, and good feelings.
“What’s wrong with pleasure?” you might ask. After all, God is the one who created pleasure. But pleasure wasn’t made to be your ultimate goal. Instead, pleasure is a result of living the kind of life God wants you to live. The Message paraphrase says it like this: “You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life! The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied” (Proverbs 21:17).
Pragmatism. “Whatever works for you”—that’s the theme of the pragmatist. Pragmatism says it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong; it doesn’t matter if it hurts someone; if it works for you, it’s fine.
But the Bible offers a different perspective: “There is a way that seems right to a person, but eventually it ends in death” (Proverbs 14:12 GW). Just because something seems to be working now doesn’t mean it’s right. Cheating on a spouse, stealing from your business, or relying on alcohol may all seem to work for you in the short-term, but eventually they’ll bring you down.
Think about your own life. Are you caught up in some of these popular worldviews? Or are you choosing to follow the different path that Jesus offers? Tomorrow we’ll look at a few more worldviews.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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