Seeing Things God's Way

Founder of The Barna Group, Dr. George Barna, shared groundbreaking worldview research conducted by the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University. This research done in 2020 revealed that just 6% of U.S. adults have a biblical worldview. This raised a logical question: If so few American adults have a biblical worldview, what is the dominant worldview among the other 94%? The simple and surprising answer - there isn’t one!

Based on personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of adults, the study found that the most common worldview might best be described as Syncretism. That’s a fancy name for a disparate, irreconcilable collection of beliefs and behaviors that define people’s lives. It’s a cut-and-paste approach to making sense of and responding to life. Rather than developing a Biblically based, internally consistent perspective on life, Americans embrace points of view or actions that feel comfortable or seem most convenient. Those beliefs and behaviors are often inconsistent, or even contradictory, but few Americans seemed troubled by those failings. Which seems to indicate that God’s voice of Truth is being stifled by other voices in our culture.

Tying into the Barna study is this data from Lifeway Research:

In January 2023, around 100 million adults, or 39% of Americans, said they use the Bible three or more times a year. That equals the lowest number in the 13-year history of the study and ties with last year as the lowest percentage.

When you add in that Guinness World Records estimates that over five billion copies of the Bible have been sold, making it the best-selling book of all time, it seems that lying around somewhere in almost any home you could likely find a Bible, perhaps several. And on our devices, we have access to dozens of translations at anytime, anywhere. This simple fact reveals a profound privilege we are missing. Because for much of church history, Bibles were scarce and precious. The invention of the printing press in the 1400s made mass production possible, but it took the Reformation to make the Bible accessible to individual believers. Yet with all this easy access, Americans are not engaging frequently with God’s Word, much less expecting to hear Him speak and be transformed by the power of His voice.

Do You Believe God’s Word Is Alive and Relevant?
Is it possible that an overwhelming majority of Americans treat the Bible as a collection of ancient stories about other people, if they read it at all? The modern perspective, strongly influenced by competing voices in culture, can make Scripture feel irrelevant to our daily lives. For some, it has become an artifact of the past, much like a family heirloom gathering dust. But Scripture is not a relic. It is the living voice of the living God. As we open the Bible, we must also open our hearts and minds to rediscover its relevance to all generations. Consider 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

This passage emphasizes that Scripture is "breathed out" by God. He is not a silent deity or a distant observer. He is a speaking God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reveals a God who communicates with His people. In Genesis 1, God speaks creation into existence. His words carry power and purpose, ultimately for His glory. By His breath, life comes into being. By His Word, creation finds its purpose.

The Significance of the Breath in Your Lungs
The connection between God’s Word and His breath is found in Genesis 2:7 where we read of the creation of Adam: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
Adam was lifeless until God breathed life into him. This divine breath gave life to man and elevated humanity above all other creation, as bearers of God’s image. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches that God’s Word is uniquely inspired. It is "God-breathed," carrying the same life-giving power that brought Adam to life. Scripture’s purpose is to glorify God and equip His people for every good work. It transcends time, space, and history, bound to the eternal Spirit of God.

The problem, then, lies not with God’s Word but with us.
We struggle to hear, understand, and obey. This is not a new challenge for the disciples themselves wrestled with doubt and disbelief, even as they walked with Jesus. Despite witnessing His miracles and hearing His teachings, they were slow to understand. How often did Jesus say to them, "Ye of little faith"?

The Word Made Flesh
In John 20:22, the resurrected Christ breathes on His disciples as He says, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." This act echoes the creation of Adam. Jesus breathes new life into His followers, inaugurating the new creation. Those who once doubted now believed. The Holy Spirit illuminated their understanding, transforming them into bold proclaimers of God’s Word. The same Spirit who inspired Scripture now empowers us to hear, believe, and live out its truths.

A Living and Life-Giving Word
Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word as "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword." Scripture is not static; it is dynamic and life-giving. It guides us on our journey with God, illuminating our path and shaping us into His likeness. It is through His Word that God speaks to us, and it is through prayer—often using His own words—that we respond. The Psalms, for instance, are filled with prayers and songs inspired by the Spirit. They teach us how to approach God with humility and reverence.

Hearing and Heeding Develops a Biblical Worldview

How much we value hearing God’s voice lies not only in our reading but in our heeding. James 1:22 reminds us to be: "doers of the word, and not hearers only."
God’s Spirit-inspired Word calls us to action. It brings us to salvation and sanctifies us as we walk with Him. It equips us for every good work, shaping our lives to glorify Him.

A Prayerful Response
I want to challenge you to approach God’s Word with humility and expectancy. Praying like the psalmist, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18).

Pray as we read in 1 Samuel 3:10 when the Lord came to Samuel:
"Speak; for thy servant heareth."

Friends, Christ promises to reveal Himself to us through His Spirit-inspired Word. Build a biblical worldview as you listen as He speaks in Scripture, believe what He says, and commit to live according to His truth, cherishing His Word as the very breath of life.
Lord, may Your Word dwell in us richly, equipping us to live for Your glory and our good. Amen.


Credit: Ron Kelley