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?