Central Truth

Having a theocentric worldview is just another way of saying, "My world revolves around God." But, which god am I talking about? In a world of diverse religions and even more numerous opinions about those beliefs, we often get a little confused about who we are actually worshiping.

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Reflections

When everything is going well, it is easy to sing our favorite worship songs, naturally believing God is good and is close to us. But when things go badly, we often find ourselves questioning God. If our first reaction is to wonder about God and His presence instead of worshiping Him, then it may be a sign we are approaching life with the wrong desires. Some call this "bottom up theology."

The apostle Paul described a better way: Start at the top with God and let Him define your existence. (Acts 17:26) Paul pointed to the temples and monuments built to every god under the Greek sky and said, "The God who made the world and all things in it . . . gives to all people life and breath and all things." (Acts 17:24-25)
 
The Athenians had a god-centered view of life. The problem was they worshiped gods of their own making in an attempt to make sense of a world created by the God they did not know.

The truth about this life is not found in man's ideas of his own existence or the physical laws of the universe. The reality is that God ". . . made from one man every nation of mankind to live . . . that they would seek God . . ." (Acts 17:26-27)  Hard things and bad days challenge our ideas of how life should go.  They cause us to examine our desires and turn us toward the One who defines Truth and Life. (John 14:6) This is "top down theology."

This is a true theocentric worldview that first begins with God leading man to humble repentance. Paul said, ". . . God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent." (Acts 17:30) He was describing a lifestyle, not just a therapy to feel better. God has given us a better way than just "feeling" our way to Him. (Acts 17:27) We can rise above the world's standards by worshiping Jesus, the only God, and making Him our greatest desire. (Psalms 37:4)

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Discussion Questions

1. When life gets ugly, do you run to God in worship because He is who He said He is? (Acts 17:24-25) Or do you question the Creator's relevance for your "real life" problems and run to more tangible gods? (Romans 1:25)
2. What do those "tangible gods" look like? What do you "naturally" worship (think "desires" or what you are passionate about--sports, job, kids, alone time, ministry, etc.)?
3. Why do we naturally live life from a "bottom up theology" instead of a "top down theology"? (see James 4:1)
4. If we really believe that God has empowered us and given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4), then how will this change our "natural" responses to challenges arising in daily life?

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