“Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” Proverbs 4:23 (GNT)
There are two common myths about what we believe. One of them is the sincerity myth; the other is the situational myth.
The sincerity myth says, “It doesn’t matter what I believe as long as I'm sincere.” But here’s the problem with that myth: I can be sincerely wrong. I’ve been sincerely wrong many, many times in my life. Sincerity is not enough. I can sincerely believe that the sun revolves around the earth. But it doesn’t matter how sincere I am about it—I’m sincerely wrong.
The situational myth says it doesn’t really matter what I believe because everything depends on circumstances; I can believe one thing in one situation and believe another thing in another. That causes enormous amounts of stress in life because it doesn’t make sense. Truth is always true.
It does matter what I believe, and it matters that my beliefs are consistent. God's Word gives three clear reasons why my beliefs matter.
1. My beliefs shape my life. The Bible says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 GNT). My beliefs determine my behavior. When I don’t know what I believe and why I believe it, my life ends up being shaped by beliefs I'm not even aware of. So if I want to change something in my life, start with thoughts—with beliefs. Change happens from the inside out.
2. A faulty worldview causes all kinds of unnecessary problems in life. The Message paraphrase says, “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed” (Proverbs 29:18). When we don’t know the purpose of life—when we're building life on the wrong set of beliefs—we just drift along, occasionally stumbling over ourselves. But when we build our lives on God’s truth—when we “attend to what he reveals”—we will experience God’s blessings.
3. God wants me to share what I believe with others. The Bible says, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). Our world needs people who know what they believe, know why they believe it, and know how to share those beliefs with others in love.
God made me in his own image—and for his purposes. And he wants me to build my life on beliefs that help me live those purposes to the fullest!
In summary:
Our beliefs shape our lives, influence our behavior, and determine the direction we take—so they must be grounded in truth, not myths. The sincerity myth says that as long as we’re sincere, what we believe doesn’t matter, but sincerity alone can still be wrong. The situational myth says beliefs can shift with circumstances, but that leads to confusion and stress since truth is unchanging. God’s Word teaches that our thoughts and beliefs directly shape our actions, that a faulty worldview leads to unnecessary problems, and that we’re called to share our hope with others in love. When we build our lives on God’s truth and stay consistent in our beliefs, we not only find clarity and purpose but also fulfill the reason God created us.
Bottom Line:
My beliefs shape my life, so they must be true, consistent, and grounded in God’s Word—then lived out and shared with others.
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