We all have our individual philosophies based on what we’ve learned in life. These philosophies are the lens through which we view our surroundings. Simply put, a philosophy is a set of beliefs, ideas, and values that guide the way we live. The lens we look through is extremely important; looking through the wrong lens profoundly limits our lives.

Worldly philosophy is the norm today; however, it directly contradicts God’s philosophy of grace. As believers, our philosophy must be patterned after Jesus, not after the world’s traditions. Most people have learned to cling to the traditional religious teachings they learned in church, and therefore are blocked from seeing powerful manifestations of God in their lives. Tradition makes the Word of God of no effect.

God wants to show us His favor, but He can’t if we live by philosophies based in the Old-Testament Law of Moses. These emphasize self-effort instead of faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We must avoid being taken captive by intellectualism and plain nonsense that follows human tradition; this type of thinking causes us to disregard the teachings of Christ.

Philosophies determine how we respond to circumstances and what conclusions we draw. If we’re living under the world’s philosophy, we’ll respond in fear and let our circumstances limit us whenever we’re faced with adversity and trouble. By contrast, living under grace empowers us to respond in faith to situations. Faith, not fear, is what causes miracles and makes the impossible possible. Faith as small as a mustard seed moves mountains at our command.

To change lenses and see life the way God wants us to see it, we must first change the way we think. We mustn’t be conformed to this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can learn His perfect will. We do this by constantly studying the Scriptures and applying them to our lives. Doing this gives us 20/20 spiritual vision.

Prayer:

God, the world offers us many different philosophies, but there’s only one way to think that is pleasing to You. We’re thankful that You gave us Your Word to teach us the correct mindsets and beliefs. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Scriptures:

Mark 7:13

Colossians 2:8, AMPC

Matthew 17:20

Romans 12:2