How Your Worldview Shapes Your Identity, Purpose, and Calling

Have you ever wondered, “Who am I? What is my purpose in life?” Have you ever struggled with your identity, in knowing who you really are? Have you ever found yourself comparing your life and achievements to other people’s lives? Have you ever felt that other people have everything figured out, while you seem to be falling behind?

Most people spend their whole lives searching for the answers to these questions. Many people don’t realize that the answers we come up with are shaped by our worldview.¹ A worldview is the way we see the world; it is the way we understand life, our purpose in it, and what we consider to be truth.

Whether someone realises it or not everybody has a worldview.² It not only shapes our understanding but also how we respond to life, especially difficult situations. It shapes the decisions we make and ultimately the direction we take in life. This is why worldview is so important.

What Is Shaping Your Worldview?

We live in a world constantly trying to shape how we think. Social media tells us what success and happiness look like, and what kind of people we should be. Our culture tells us how we should think, act, and make decisions. Even other people tell us who we need to be and what we need to accomplish. Before long, we can feel overwhelmed by all the expectations on us and confusion from all the mixed messages between the world, our culture, and other people.

We can start to shape who we are to try to keep up with who the world tells us to be, who our friends and family want us to be, and what social media has taught us about what is considered successful. If we get overwhelmed or confused, then our thoughts and emotions also start affecting our decisions and the path we take.

The problem with this is that all these things are ever-changing. How can you know who you are, or who you are supposed to be, if the messages you get in the world keep changing?

One day, you could be living up to everything the world has told you to be, but tomorrow, a completely new standard could emerge. You could be applauded for your achievements one day and criticised over them the next. If we build our worldview on things that constantly change, we will constantly feel unstable.

Christian Worldview

Christians, however, build their worldview on something that does not change: God and His Word. Scripture gives us the answers to these questions. It tells us why God made us, what our purpose is in life, and that we can find our identity in knowing Jesus died for us, and our identity is that we are loved children of God.

Where Do You Find Your Worth?

One of the greatest struggles many people face today is identity. People search for their worth in relationships.

They search for it in achievements, appearance, in careers, money, popularity, and success. The problem is that all of these things can be taken away. Relationships can end. Jobs can change. Appearances fade.

Success comes and goes.

When our identity is built on temporary things, our confidence becomes temporary too.

This is why so many people feel lost when circumstances change. The Christian worldview offers us something far more secure. The Bible teaches that our identity is found in Christ. We are created in the image of God and we are loved by God. We are valuable because God says we are valuable.³

Our worth is not determined by our performance, it is not determined by our failures. Our worth is not determined by what other people think of us, it is determined by the One who created us.

When we truly understand this, it changes everything. Instead of constantly striving to prove ourselves, we can rest in who God says we are.

Purpose: Why Are We Here?

Just as our worldview shapes our identity, it also shapes our purpose.

Many people spend their lives chasing happiness, success, wealth, or recognition. While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they make poor foundations for a meaningful life.

Success can disappear. Money can be lost. Achievements eventually fade. If our purpose is built on these things, we will always be searching for the next thing to satisfy us.

As Christians, we believe our purpose is much greater than personal success. We were created to know God, love God, serve others, and bring glory to Him through the lives we live.

When we understand this, our purpose becomes much bigger than ourselves.

Our lives become about more than what we can gain. They become about how we can serve. How we can love, and can reflect Christ to those around us.⁴

How Worldview Is Lived Out Every Day

Worldview is not just something we believe on Sunday, it shows up in our everyday lives. It affects how we treat people, how we handle disappointment, how we respond to suffering. Our worldview affects our relationships, our priorities, and our decisions. What we truly believe will eventually show up in how we live.⁵

This is why having a biblical worldview is so important. It is not simply about having the right beliefs. It is about allowing those beliefs to shape the way we live.

How This Relates to My Calling

As the creator of Bible With Belle, my worldview shapes everything I do.

The content I create is rooted in my belief that God’s Word is true and that people need biblical truth more than ever.

The world offers countless opinions about identity, purpose, healing, relationships, and success. My goal through Bible With Belle is not to add another opinion to the noise, it is to point people back to God’s Word.

My worldview influences the topics I write about, the encouragement I share, and the message I want readers to walk away with.

I believe people need to know that their identity is found in Christ.

I believe people need to know that God has purpose for their lives.

In a world that is ever changing I believe people need to know it is God’s truth that remains the same. This is why worldview matters so much in my vocation. The message I share is shaped by what I believe to be true.

Final Thoughts

The question is not whether or not you have a worldview; everyone has a worldview. The question is, what is shaping your worldview?

Is your worldview being shaped by social media, culture, opinions, and feelings? Or is it being shaped by God’s Word?

The answer to that question will influence your identity, your purpose, your decisions, and ultimately the direction of your life.

My encouragement to you today is simple. Build your life on God’s truth.

Allow His Word to shape the way you think. Allow His truth to shape the way you see yourself. And allow His purpose to guide the life He has called you to live.

Still Have a Question?

You can send it through the Ask a Bible Question page, and I’ll respond with guidance from God’s Word.

You can also leave your questions on my YouTube channel. This is where I regularly share Bible verses, encouragement, and answers to common questions.

Footnotes

1. David K. Naugle, Worldview: The History of a Concept (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 5.
2. James W. Sire, The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020), 20.
3. Stanley J. Grenz, The Social God and the Relational Self (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001), 45.
4. James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009), 25.
5. Michael W. Goheen and Craig G. Bartholomew, Living at the Crossroads: An Introduction to Christian Worldview (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008), 18.