Justin completed Phase I and Phase II of Heart of a Warrior Ministries. He recently wrote an amazing article that in many ways explain the relationship between beliefs and values better than I could. His article deserves your careful reflection...
It Matters What You Believe
by Justin Edwards on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 9:13am
One of the themes that can be readily seen played out in the world around you and (sometimes especially) in many churches is the apparent conflict between Unity and Truth. If you are someone, like me, who has a tendency to avoid conflict, you may notice that process more than others, although it seems everyone plays some role in the battle for Unity and Truth. Notice that, even in setting the stage for that discussion, a belief enters in about whether or not these two ideals are mutually exclusive, and to what extent, which sets the stage for debate about which is preferred, etc., but all still relies on whether or not one believes they are, indeed, exclusive. There is plenty of experiential evidence to suggest that they might be, although both are clearly encouraged in the Word of God. I contend that a discussion of Unity and Truth, among many such social or theological topics, hangs to some extent on an underlying principle of much greater scope. Although an adept theologian or philosopher could probably apply impressive sounding terms that mean very little to anyone not fluent in their vocabulary, I'd like to specifically avoid slapping dismissive labels on the places this could go. Doing so, in addition to excluding many people from the discussion, assumes an understanding of scope, and makes less relevant the day to day implications of what is determined. Rather, I'd like to defend the simple, yet fundamental, principle that it matters what you believe.
To some, this very claim is polarizing, suggesting perhaps an attack on absolute Truth, or a watering-down of a stronger principle in order to avoid conflict with secular psychological or sociological findings. I believe quite the opposite to be true of this claim, and that both the observations of the secular community and the stance of those with a high value for Truth, Biblical or otherwise, support this premise. If, indeed, a Truth is absolute, it is reasonable to suggest that there would be evidence in support of that Truth available and observable to everyone. Evidence can certainly be misinterpreted and wrong conclusions drawn, if even you believe such a possibility, but Truth that is absolute would remain true.
To begin, I believe it is helpful to briefly explain a principle borrowed from Dr. Greg Bourgond, founder of Heart of a Warrior Ministries, to help clear the otherwise muddy waters of some of these concepts. Notice that I “believe” it to be helpful, and that much of this defense is based on what I “believe” to be true. You have permission to disagree with my beliefs, but I would suggest that, by doing so, you are operating out of beliefs of your own. I encourage you to first understand the following principle, then test and try it in application and develop your own thoughts on whether it is true. The principle is summarized in the following statements:
Our Central Beliefs establish our Core Values. Our Core Values inform our perceptual attitudes (our Worldview). Our attitudes about life (our Worldview) condition our Motives. Our Motives energize our Behavior. Our Behavior reflects what is stored in our hearts.
Understanding this connection of Beliefs > Values > Worldview > Motives > Behavior has been, for me, what I like to call a back-of-the-book experience. If you've ever had a textbook in which the answers to certain problems were contained in the back of the book, and you've had your understanding illuminated by turning to the back of the book after struggling to get it, then you'll have some idea why I call this a back-of-the-book experience, and the significance it's had in clarifying my understanding. I've seen these concepts used somewhat interchangeably, but never in another way that made complete sense of the whole picture. Although this principle has been developed to a much greater extent than a brief mention in this discussion can substantiate, it's helpful to have a brief understanding of the roles of each of these components: Beliefs (foundation) > Values (lens) > Worldview (filter) > Motives (fuel) > Behavior (reflection). Although it might be possible to develop a root-to-fruit (beliefs-to-behavior) analogy that fits this, I think a symbolic parallel to the intermediate components would lose something in translation, and that an understanding of these components is, in fact, quite valuable.
For mankind, behavior is truly the only observable component in this equation. Assumptions are made of motives, worldview, values, and beliefs, and observation over time can arrive at reasonable conclusions, but indeed God alone fully knows all of these components which are stored in our hearts. I found it quite insightful when I first read the quotation: “We judge others by their actions. We judge ourselves by our intentions.” This suggests the intuitive concept that we, ourselves, have at least a limited understanding of what's going on inside our hearts. I contend that this understanding is limited to varying extents, depending on the individual. While I have an understanding of the connection of these components, I still exhibit behavior that I don't like about myself, and that doesn't appear to line up with what I claim to believe. The apostle Paul describes his own struggle with doing what he doesn't want to do, and not doing what he does want to do in Romans 7:14-25. Even beyond my own recognition of behavior, I realize that other people may observe behavior in my life that either I refuse to acknowledge or fail to identify. This is certainly one of the benefits of having close accountability, and to some extent represents the value of secular psychology. As difficult as it might be to admit, I contend that behavior is an accurate reflection of what we truly believe. That claim requires significant explanation, and the value of the intermediate components of motives, worldview, and values, is primarily to offer recognizable evidence to suggest the underlying belief-to-behavior connection.
Beliefs, in many ways, are analogous to seeds. There are many sources for seeds of all kinds, including personal experiences, childhood environment, influence of others, leading of the Holy Spirit, the lies of the devil, popular opinion, conventional wisdom, lusts of the flesh, and the written Word of God. In the parable of the sower, (in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8) the seed is the Word of God, which represents Truth, and its overall fruitfulness has, ultimately, to do with the condition of the soil and whether the truth is received as belief. In part, this has to do with whether there are other things planted there, such as thorns, or worries, or cares of this world. These represent conflicting beliefs. Similarly, a hard or shallow soil represents the degree to which Truth is believed and can take root and grow to bear fruit.
In practical terms, from a very early age, a daily and very deliberate process has been taking place in attempt to influence what you believe. The world, the flesh, and the devil all play a role in opposition to the truth of God's Word. It can be seen in a variety of marketing messages, political campaigns, social agendas, physical, chemical, and sexual addictions – some of which have a spiritual component, and in many other ways that lies can be communicated. There is a battlefield here that is fundamental to the human struggle in a fallen world. The devil, as the father of lies, knows that if he can corrupt your beliefs, he can ultimately corrupt your behavior, which the world around you will observe. Corrupted behavior does not glorify God, but the starting point is not behavior. I've heard Erwin McManus say that “the primary reason that we sin is because we want to.” That seemed like a shocking statement to me, but part of Paul's account describes a war within himself that seems to fit this. It is indeed possible to want to honor God, and simultaneously want something that either dishonors God, or simply honors self or something else. While these desires can coexist, they are mutually exclusive in whether they win in producing behavior. In fact, I believe this represents the primary reason for inconsistency in an individual's personal walk of faith, namely that there are conflicting underlying issues. I contend that these take place on a belief level, somewhat below the radar.
It seems like a person would have an intimate awareness of their own beliefs, and on certain things this is true, but the process of uncovering what one truly believes is more involved than it may initially appear. To demonstrate this, make a short list of things you claim to believe. Then ask yourself: “If I lived my life as if I absolutely and truly believe that, what would my life look like?” If you notice a difference between the answer you got and what your life looks like, you've found a clue to something not quite right about your statements of belief. Actually, the statements themselves may be perfectly true, but there may be other, seemingly minor beliefs, whether from personal experience or example you've seen, that poison the true belief into something that no longer wins in the arena of behavior every time. For example, there is a commonly held belief that “the ends justify the means.” Almost everyone has heard this claim, which is a statement of belief. Everyone who has heard this claim has made a decision regarding its validity. Some clearly accept it as truth, and their lives show it. Others claim to reject it, or partially reject it. To be clear, this statement of belief is absolutely false, and is poison every time, yet I see, in my own life, evidence of partially believing it. When I recognize that this is a false belief, however, it gives me greater awareness of when it seeks to influence my behavior. The process of temptation is an offer to believe the lie. When we agree with the lie instead of the truth, sin is often the result, and our behavior does not reflect an accurate picture of our typically dominant desires. It does, however, accurately reflect the condition of our beliefs. What occasionally sinful behavior reflects is that sometimes we believe the lies, even if we believe the Truth most of the time.
Far too much emphasis is placed on will power or discipline as the way to counteract behavior, and while there is an element of discipline associated with the immediate resistance of temptation, an outward approach to behavior always proves to be temporary or ineffective. Corrupted behavior stems from corrupted beliefs, whether overt or subtle. Often, it takes the form of believing something that seems reasonable, like: “it's OK as long as I'm not hurting anyone else” or “it's not technically stealing.” Sometimes it's more readily identified with a value, such as the example I gave of a desire to avoid conflict. Ultimately, however, this relates to a belief about conflict. While an understanding of corrupted beliefs leading to corrupted behavior is evident with respect to overt sins of commission, it becomes less obvious with respect to sins of omission, which are simply the things we should do, but don't. This is why I think the self-examination of the good things we believe is so important. For many Christians, their primary battle is not with overt despicable behavior, but rather in truly living lives that represent what they claim to believe. Maybe you're someone who claims to believe that God loves you, but whose actions suggest that you really believe that God only loves you when you are good. Maybe you claim to believe that God is your provider and that He only wants good things for you, but frequently resort to meeting your own needs and looking out for yourself. Fill in the blank when you notice something like this, and we all have them, but take note of what it was and ask God to reveal why it is that you do, or not do, that thing you shouldn't or should.
It's not at all difficult to find those who have been so exposed to lies that the truth seems foreign to them. For a period in each of our childhood lives, we lacked the discernment or ability to resist a false statement and reject it as we should. The false beliefs you were fed as a child, whether from your parents, your environment, your classmates in school, etc. have either gained acceptance into the fabric of your individual beliefs, or you have rejected them as false and replaced them with the truth. You might not even remember where they started. Some choose to adopt the belief that they are a victim of their environment, and that the false beliefs they've been fed have victory over them. I believe that Christ has set us free even from our past influences. I also believe that an honest and objective process of evaluating your behavior, and a deliberate attempt to articulate your values, worldview, and motives, submitted to God who knows all of it, will begin to reveal patterns of false belief and develop an appreciation for the truth found in the Word of God. I believe a replacement of the false beliefs with the truth will ultimately result in a life in which your behavior more accurately represents the good you claim to believe.
It is subtle, yet very important to understand false belief as deadly poison, and to recognize the possibility that the real truth you receive and believe is frequently additive in nature. Unless a real truth you receive is in such contrast to the lie you once believed, that you decide then and there to reject the old in favor of the new, there is a tendency to allow the old to remain. If one drop, or one quart of deadly poison is added to pure water, it's no longer pure water, and you probably shouldn't drink it. Similarly, if you have poisoned water to start with, simply adding pure water to it to dilute the poison will take far more effort than dumping it out and starting over with pure water. This is more difficult to do with beliefs than with water, but certainly the addition of poisoned beliefs adds to the difficulty. This emphasizes the importance of discernment with respect to what you allow to alter your thinking (beliefs) or behavior. There are very subtle ways that holding on to false beliefs act to ultimately corrupt your behavior. These subtle false beliefs take time to discover, remove, and replace, but one can find encouragement in knowing that God desires to help you with the process. His Truth is light, and darkness cannot hide once uncovered. This is very encouraging.
As for unity and truth... these values are both biblical, are relevant to this topic, and provide examples of how a small amount of false belief can dramatically alter their expression. Take, for example, a person who holds a high value for unity, and simultaneously believes that it is judgemental and contributes to division if one seeks to discover, explain, and pursue absolute truth, or right and wrong. This person, out of an expression of mostly good motives to seek unity, would likely have no interest in digging in deeper into what they believe and how it influences them, and might criticize others who do. This person would likely lack the tools to help someone whose life is plagued by an expression of false beliefs. Conversely, a person with a high value for absolute truth, who even partially believes that “the ends justify the means” will be more likely to be intolerant of someone who hasn't reached their level of understanding, and may be insensitive to a dramatically different perspective of experiences and an approach to seeking truth that includes them, and might ignore more fundamentally important common ground. This person might exemplify the very judgmental and potentially self-centered expression that supports the false belief of the first person. Both individuals may be operating out of motives that are mostly good, and if this is the basis for evaluating the outcome, it is logical to conclude that they are both correct in their expression, when in fact their behavior suggests the opposite to be true. In these examples, the motives were generally good, and this is the area where people tend to get defensive. This suggests that fault, if any, is found at a deeper level. While it's useful for purposes of illustration to look at hypothetical bad examples of someone else, it is far more significant to apply this understanding to a process of self-examination. It puts matters in a whole new light to recognize how your own experiences, upbringing, and things you were taught had an impact on what you fundamentally believe to be true, and how this ultimately affects your behavior. It also helps you to relate to someone who had a different background than your own, knowing that they have their own influences unique to them.
There are those who argue that truth is not absolute, which is a self-contradiction as an absolute statement, but I believe, in many cases, the passion behind such a claim, if not simply rooted in a desire to avoid accountability, is a legitimate emphasis on how one's own experiences shape their personal reality. From the standpoint of perception of reality and the importance this has, I would generally agree. To those arguing that “Truth is Truth regardless of what you believe,” I would suggest that their statement is correct, but their view may be limited in such a way that it offers little explanation or hope for their personal life experiences, which are not without significance. Somewhere between the extreme position of “there is no answer” and an answer that doesn't help much, lies an acknowledgement that belief in something is powerful enough to subconsciously shape how we perceive and respond to the world around us. Recognition of this happening is powerful. Our individual beliefs have taken time to develop and are constantly being challenged, refined, expanded, or affirmed. This is a process in which we can actively participate. Intentional engagement here is common ground for all of us, regardless of background or experiences. It is a distraction to place one's own experiences in opposition to the experiences of others. The battles are won starting with personal recognition that some of what we believe has effectively been corrupted from negative influences, and is followed by a deliberate effort to confront these influences and their authority to remain.
Understanding the connection of Beliefs > Values > Worldview > Motives > Behavior provides a tool to help diagnose not only the potentially negative belief influences and the current state of their ability to affect behavior, but also helps to identify areas of strength from which to grow. To a much greater extent than an approach of condemnation of undesirable behavior, this basis of understanding helps to clarify the refinements necessary for mostly true belief to accurately reflect the uncorrupted Truth. With this principle, to make the claim that it matters what you believe suggests a claim that it matters how you behave, what your motives are, how you view the world, and what you value. Indeed, all of these matters, but understanding the pivotal and foundational role of beliefs in relation to the rest provides the key to unlocking victory.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:31-32
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