What I Believe Shapes My Life

In review of Psalm 11:3 it says, “When the foundations of life are undermined, what can a righteous person do?”

Bottom Line:

When it seems the foundation has been compromised, what can a righteous person do but rely on God.

What this means to me:

When the foundations of life are undermined and have collapsed, what can a righteous person do but rely on God.

What I believe about the world around me greatly shapes everything about my life. What I believe determines my behavior. My behavior then determines what I become, and that has a direct effect on the direction life.

The same thing is true of a country or the world; they are largely shaped by the values we believe. Unfortunately it’s apparent that our culture has bought into three very destructive philosophies that have replaced truth in most lives.

First, individualism - Many buy into the lie that we’re the only standard for our lives. Often when emotions run high and our passions are inflamed, we will rarely consult with anyone else before making a decision. The Israelites went through something very similar as recorded in the book of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25 NLT). It didn’t work well then, and it doesn’t work well today.

Second, secularism - This can be summarized in three words: “God is unnecessary.” It appears that more and more we’ve been systematically removing God from all areas of our lives; from schools to the government to the media. God is at best relegated to Sunday mornings, if we even consider him then.

Lastly, relativism - That’s when culture believe that there are no absolutes; what’s true for you may not be true for me. It’s a great way to live if you don’t want any guilt. If you don’t measure up to God’s standard, you just change the standard. It’s both illogical and irrational, but it’s highly prevalent in world today.

Don’t be conned by individualism (a love for yourself), secularism (where God is unnecessary), or relativism (where there are no absolutes).

The consequences for our society and for us as individuals for falling for these cons is staggering. Without a commitment to truth and a commitment to the authority of God, our culture is crumbling.

The second half of Psalm 11 provides the hope for things fall apart.  It says, “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked. He hates those who love violence. He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked, punishing them with scorching winds. For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.” (Psalm 11:4-7, NLT)

In summary, when the foundations of life are undermined and have collapsed, what can a righteous person do but rely on God. One thing I can do is not fall into the trap of individualism, secularism, and relativism in my own life.  Perhaps I can be someone who by living my life differently from others can be an attractive example for others to be interested in living out the truth in their lives.