Our perspective on life changes everything. Let me give you an example. If you believe that the government has the solution to all human problems, then you will want a bigger government with ever increasing power. That is because when the problems don’t get solved, the answer is to make government bigger. The thinking goes something like this. The problem wasn’t solved because we didn’t make a bold enough program in the first place. If we could have fixed it the way we really wanted to, without the opposition from small government proponents, the problem would have been solved. The problem with this kind of thinking is that once the government has taken everything over and the problem isn’t solved, they have nowhere to turn for a solution. Government can’t control individual actions and attitudes.
If we believe that large corporations are sinister entities that make a profit by selling us things that will kill us, then you become suspicious of their products. You withhold vaccines for fear of Autism. You buy organic foods because you fear the poisoning effects of fertilizers and pesticides are being hidden from the public. You end up so afraid of so many things that you fail to live a full life.
John highlights two very distinct perspectives. The world has a perspective that is very different than that of God’s. In fact, the two are in opposition to each other. And the world won’t listen to God’s perspective. They have their own spokesmen.
We see it in the media arena. Almost all the news sources in the United States favor the liberal view of things. They support the Democratic political agenda. They most often just act as a mouthpiece for that agenda, rarely questioning or challenging. They support the demonization of opponents. But what else would you expect. They have been educated in the institutions that are the seedbed of liberalism. They keep company with those in power who are liberal. Their social circles rarely overlap with conservatives. So they aren’t even exposed to conservative ideas. What else would we expect?
John tells us that we can know a person’s heart by seeing who influences them. We primarily listen to those who support our worldview. So Christians often listen to sources that align with Biblical ideals. We listen to John and the Gospel message. We gain wisdom and hope from the Scriptures. We examine other sources and compare them and filter them. If they don’t fit with our worldview, we reject them.
So take a look at your sources of information. How much of what you believe is the result of your information sources? Do you need to change your sources?
The Arnold Journey 