Can you think of a teenager who is on fire for God? There are some teenagers who just stand out above many of their peers. Like me, you might ask questions to yourself such as: “What makes that young adult so purposeful about what they do?” or “How did that young individual come to be so compassionate?” or “Why is it that teen is remarkably self-governed?” Somehow, these teens share qualities that impact their culture. I believe that it has to do with the worldview that they embrace.
The application of Scripture to life is consequential for impacting one’s culture for Christ. In any event, our teens need to be guided in seeing the gravity of how they see the world and its impact on their culture. Sooner or later, our teens need to learn how to apply Scripture to issues. It’s a matter of spiritual growth. But what does it mean to have a Biblical worldview?
What it Truly Means to Have a Biblical Worldview
Every single individual has a purpose. Yet, many teenagers wander, uncertain of what they can do to contribute to their communities. And many are clueless about how to live intentionally. In essence, it’s as if they aren’t sure what to do as an image bearer of Christ. With this in mind, here are some key points to go over with your teen about what it means to truly have and live a Biblical worldview:
- Acknowledging that God is the Creator of all. He is sovereign and He has kingdom principles for us to live by. Not only that, every subject shows us the character, nature, and essence of our Heavenly Father. As they learn that no subject is neutral, their faith and trust in Him will increase. Plus, it opens up hearts for thanksgiving and worship of our Heavenly Father.
- The Bible is the ultimate authority. Our Heavenly Father lays out what is right and wrong. Explicitly, He lovingly gives us instructions for walking in righteousness.
- Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit. As a Christian, your teen is now an image bearer of Christ and is to be like Him. As he puts love into action, the sweet Fruit of the Spirit nourish the souls of others in a hurting world.
- Choosing to be self-governed under Christ. We cannot control ourselves. Consequently, we need Christ and we need to be covered by His righteousness. Throughout the day each day, temptation tests present themselves to our teens just as much as they do us. In view of this, teaching our teens to pause and ask, “Am I choosing to be under the influence of Christ?” is a helpful tool. It can help them check if they’re about to keep Christ on the throne over their lives.
The Importance of Teaching a Biblical Worldview
Our teens are like arrows getting ready to soar. As a result, they need help with aiming for the right target. Obviously, it takes an archer to send an arrow flying a straight path. Parents, you are that archer. When you have your sites set on teaching a Biblical worldview, your aim is in the right direction. Consider how important this is:
- Walking the path of righteousness. Significantly, when teaching with a Biblical worldview, we better help our children to stay close to the path of righteousness.
- Giving glory and thanks where it is due. Of note, Romans 1:21 cautions us about people who knew God, but refusing to give Him glory and thanks went unwell for them. Specifically, that cause lead to the effect that they became vain in their imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened. Note that these were people who knew God. For this reason, it’s critical that we teach our teens with a Biblical approach to life and in each subject.
- Using their gifts and talents for God’s Glory in His Story. Gifts and talents aren’t thoughtlessly given to individuals. After all, God wants us to be a part of His story and He invites us to join Him in it. Important to realize is the fact that God equips individuals with gifts and talents and unique personalities to impact their cultures for His glory. This is true of you, parents, just as much as it is of your teens.
- Seeing cause to effect. When our teens see the cause of things that happen in life, they can learn to observe the effects. It allows for them to note how following Biblical principles impacts the world differently than secularism, postmodernism, and scientific naturalism views.
How to Teach Biblical Worldview in High School
The first thing to realize as a Christian parent for whom instilling a biblical worldview in your children is that it is ultimately your job to do so. Many families today rely upon churches, youth groups, Bible study groups, Chrisitan schools, and other outside activities to teach and train their children. This is not a biblical model, and while all of these activities can help your teen grow in their faith (although sometimes they are more of a detriment), it is your primary responsibility as a parent to disciple your children for Jesus. Teaching a truly biblical worldview is how we disciple our children.
If you are a homeschool parent, you have even more opportunity than most to instill a biblical worldview into your teens by including such teaching into all areas of homeschooling. In addition to using curriculum for science, history, and other subjects that have a strong biblical worldview foundation, we are using Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption from BJU Press Homeschool to help my teen son understand exactly what it means to live a life with a biblical worldview. According to their website:
Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption is a tool that helps teachers equip 11th or 12th grade students with a Christian understanding of all major academic disciplines and cultural arenas.
Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption is an examination of science, the arts, government, gender, and history using the lenses provided by the biblical storyline of Creation, Fall, Redemption to encourage students to make positive and distinctively Christian contributions in God’s world. A faith-centered approach focuses on developing a Christian worldview rather than critiquing false worldviews.
Course Goals
- Define worldview and demonstrate how worldviews influence the way people think about all of life
- Analyze a Biblical worldview in terms of Creation, Fall and Redemption
- Apply Creation, Fall and Redemption to real-life issues as well as to making positive contributions to life and culture
We began using this course in our homeschool a few months ago (grade 11). I was drawn to it because it strongly emphasizes defining biblical worldview and its application in all areas of life, including education. Other courses I perused focused more on defense of worldview, spending more time on explaining the worldviews of other religions and how to defend against them. While the defense of a biblical worldview is important, the focus of actual teaching of biblical worldview cannot take a backseat. It’s difficult to defend something you don’t completely understand. Since it is my goal for my son to have a strong grasp on what a biblical worldview is and how it needs to permeate all areas of his life, this course from BJU Press Homeschool was the best option for him.
The first 3 chapters of the book define biblical worldview. They emphasize that everyone has a worldview and then go on to explain how most who reject a Christian worldview do so out of pain and hurt, rather than for intellectual reasons (why would God allow suffering, rather than evolution). Not that intellectual arguments are ignored; they are not. In fact, this part of the course is quite strong. The next nine chapters are where the rubber meets the road. In these chapters, the foundation of Creation, Fall, and Redemption as the basis for all we believe as Christians is expounded upon in sections for each of the three topics.
The chapters on Creation — God the Creator, Man and His Mandate, Everything God Made Was Very Good helps us understand what God did in creating the world and his intention for man to fill the earth and have dominion over it.
The section on the Fall — Far as the Curse Is Found, Common Grace, the World, and You, Structure and Direction shows how The Fall ruined all that God intended for his creation and how it could no longer be fulfilled in the way God intended it.
In the Redemption section — An Everlasting Kingdom, Redeemed for Good Works, The Mission of the Church and Your Vocation, redemption is not simply for the purpose of redeeming souls from sin.
The remainder of the book takes the Creation, Fall, Redemption worldview and applies it to the world we live in under five areas — Gender, Government, Science, History, Art and Culture. In this fallen world in which we live, Christians need to know how God intended man to function in these areas.
Each chapter includes a review with Scripture memory, critical thinking questions, skill development for defending a biblical worldview, an examination of assumptions and evidence, and suggestions for how to cultivate a worldview in everyday life. For example, after chapter 3, where the two-story house view is explained (whereby many Christians compartmentalize their lives into separate stories of a building — science, politics, everyday life on one floor and prayer and Bible reading on the other, wrongly applying dualism), students are encouraged to write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper about the place of faith in the public square.
This course will challenge your students in what they believe and how to live it out authentically. It is a book that will challenge not only high school students but their parents and ministry leaders as well. While my son has barely scratched the surface (we’re taking it slow), and I suspect he will be well into his senior year before he completes it, I feel I can wholeheartedly recommend Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption for any high school homeschool student who desires to understand and cultivate a biblical worldview.
