Chapter 1:
Challenge Your Beliefs
Beliefs vs. Truth
Beliefs are relative; truth is absolute. Truth will not adjust itself according to my belief. If I did not believe in gravity, and I jumped off the roof of a fifty-story building, would I not fall to my death? I would! Gravity wouldn’t care if I believed it or not; it still is in effect.
Some people say courtship is a matter of belief. But, we can’t take anybody’s word for it, just like that. You can’t even take my word for it. But there is a Word we cannot dispute. What does the Bible say?
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:2)
When I first became a Christian, I resolved to challenge and test every belief I had, if it was in accordance to the Word of God. And of course, it included any ideas I may have had with regards to courtship.
What does Romans 12:2 say again?
1. We have to be transformed
We have to be changed! How?
2. By the renewing of our minds
We will be changed if we make our minds new again.
How do we do that? If it were possible to wipe our brains clear so that it would be totally empty and then input God’s Word to our blank brains, it would be easy. But of course, we can’t do that. So instead, we test and screen all the contents of our brain, using God’s Word as the filter.
Where did we get all these beliefs, all these present contents of our brain? From this world we live in!
Isn’t that ok? No!
Why not? Because God said so!
3. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world
Why?
“For everything that is in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world.” (1 John 1:16)
The Influence of this World
How does the world influence us? One, through media. Our minds are molded so much by television, and it gets disgusting how TV stations feed on this. They manipulate our way of thinking to produce their own consumers, thus creating their own market. They tell us this is the way to live; this is ok; this is cool; this is right; this is acceptable. Shows depict boy-girl relationships as the norm, and participation in sexual actions or in sex itself tolerable, if not gratified.
Movies are certainly no better. Love stories become unrealistically oversimplified. Sex and related gestures are also commonplace.
And let’s not forget the music we hear. We cannot forget the not-so-subtle sexual undertones in the lyrics and their music videos.
How about books. Our minds and emotions can be so easily influenced by romance novels.
And the magazines that are published preach to us how we should live our lives.
Besides media, we cannot discount the influence of the people who surround us in this world, from our friends to anybody we might talk with.
Of course, there are so many influences in this world that affect our belief system that I can’t discuss all of them here. But even after discussing the common ones, it cannot be argued that many of the things we believe or believed in were given to us by this world.
Challenging Your Beliefs
All these influences aren’t necessarily bad. But we have to test each idea we get.
I often research on other beliefs and other religions, to familiarize myself with what other people believe in, making it easier for me to relate with people of other beliefs. But aren’t I afraid that I’ll be won over by their beliefs? No. I do not believe in what I believe in just because I choose to believe in it. I believe in it because it’s the truth. If you can prove to me that the earth is not round, I would believe you and I would forget my old belief. But you can’t disprove the truth; because it is the truth. That’s why I am unafraid to lay my beliefs on the line to be tested. What’s the worst that could happen? If my beliefs are true, they won’t be disproved even after much scrutiny, thus strengthening my belief. If they were untrue, I would be corrected, and lead to the truth. It’s a win-win situation.
I invite you to do the same, if you really believe in what you believe in, lay it on the line and let’s test it. Challenge your beliefs. Only when your beliefs are put through the refining fire can you be lead to the truth.
And what can be gained by doing so? We only need to go back to the verse I mentioned earlier, Romans 12:2. “…Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Overcoming the Viewpoint of the World
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one that is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” (1 John 4:4-6)
- A.L.E. -
