According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, a worldview is “the overall perspective from which one sees and interprets the world.” In other words, your worldview is the lens through which you interpret the events of life. It is how you attach meaning to seemingly random events and provides context for your life and your beliefs. Ultimately, it determines your actions and your choices. As such, there is no more fundamentally important task than to be intentional in the development and cultivation of your worldview.
Our worldview is the foundation upon which we build our lives, either knowingly and intentionally, or simply by evolving and adapting to various philosophies as they are carried down the current of culture. Most people build a functional or pragmatic worldview. They simply make decisions based on what is going to get them closer to what they want, whether that be more money, power, “happiness”, etc. There is no real examination of the reason they should want more of those things, or even whether or not it is in their best interest to pursue such things. It is simply a cultural force at work driving them towards an end to which they have never given any real thought. Because of this laissez faire attitude, they are ill-equipped to handle adversity or challenge. Worse, should they achieve what they were chasing, there is little, if any, satisfaction or contentment. They are left simply wanting more.
Is there any more important task for a Christian parent than to inculcate their child with a foundational understanding and acute attachment to a biblical worldview? I would argue that aside from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with your children, this is the most important thing you do as a parent. It is your best strategy for raising a child that knows and understands who he or she is, why he or she is here, and what he or she should be doing with his or her life.
This is why true Christian education, the holistic training and raising up of a child, is so important. If we can succeed in providing our children with a proper understanding of the world around them through the lens of a biblical worldview, they will then be prepared to engage the world with confidence and courage. It doesn’t guarantee they will not be tempted by the world and its siren calls, but it does provide an anchor to which they can hold should they drift and inevitably experience its vacuous claims and find themselves broken and empty.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the enemy is more adept at this than we are. In today’s philosophical landscape (i.e. worldview), truth does not transcend experience; rather, truth is generated and discovered through the experience of life. In other words, man, not God, is now the arbiter of truth. That is simply too heavy a burden given our finite, self-centered perspective. Without the Holy Spirit working in our lives to reveal the Truth of God’s Word, and empowering us to abide in that Truth, we have no capacity to rightly understand the world and the events we experience.
At Heritage, we are intentional and transparent in our vision to provide our students with a decidedly Christian educational experience that is founded upon God’s Word. We reject postmodern relativism with its politically correct, polytheistic paganism that has overtaken our culture and is unable to deliver on its promises. Instead, we boldly and confidently recognize a sovereign Creator who provides an objective, transcendent truth through His Word and offers life abundant through His Son. Knowledge at Heritage is not an abstract, relativistic, floating bit of information. Rather, it is further disclosure of a God who loves and desires to have a relationship with man, with you and me. And that knowledge begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).
I am more convinced than ever that what we are seeking to do – to build students who embody our mission to think with excellence, believe with confidence, and live with character – is the most effective chance your child will have to build a life of meaning and purpose that will survive the frontal assault being perpetrated on them in today’s culture. The battle is intense and the stakes are high, but we serve a sovereign God who has promised us that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). And in the midst of the battle we find peace and comfort, knowing that even though we have tribulation in this world, we can be full of joy and cheer, for He has overcome the world (John 16:33).
Onward,
President
