The Heart of the Matter

There are two dominant worldviews at play in our culture today. Political, economic, social, and moral debates all revolve around these two competing views of humanity.

The most prevalent view is that of humanism – the presumption that man is inherently good and that given the proper education, environment, and opportunity, man will always choose to do what is right. This is the philosophy evident in today’s mainstream culture. It is the driving force behind political agendas, economic programs, educational initiatives, and even parenting practices. Examine the platform of any left-leaning organization or candidate and you will find this fundamental tenet at the core of every issue.

Contrast this with the Biblical view of humanity – man was born with a sinful nature that is only corrected through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. This view recognizes the existence of evil as a real force in the world. It also understands that man has been given a free will and that he exercises that liberty in the choices he makes between right and wrong. He bears full responsibility for his actions.

In practical terms, humanism says that a man becomes a thief because he was raised in a bad environment and wasn’t taught that stealing is wrong. He shouldn’t be punished; he just needs to be rehabilitated. The Bible teaches that a man is innately aware that stealing is wrong and chooses to do so anyway, and dictates that “out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:21-23)

Humanism says that a woman is poor because the school system failed to properly educate her and now she can’t find a job. She shouldn’t be blamed for dropping out of school; she just needs to be given a free college education. The Bible teaches that the individual bears the responsibility for her failures and that success comes to those who are diligent and hardworking. It promises that “he who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” (Proverbs 10:4)

Humanism says that children are good inside and that they only need encouragement, guidance, and a healthy self-esteem to be successful. They shouldn’t be allowed to suffer consequences; they just need to be reasoned with. The Bible teaches that children are rebellious and require discipline, and warns that “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15)

Put simply, humanism suggests that people are changed from the outside-in. That is, by correcting the external, we can affect change internally. Bad people put in good situations will become good.

The Bible clearly illustrates that man is changed from the inside-out. It is only by a transformation of the heart that any significant change in behavior can be expected to follow. Bad people put in good situations will still remain bad.

The Bible rightly says that “evil company corrupts good habits.” But the inverse of this statement does not hold true - good company does not produce good habits. Humanists apply false logic in making this assumption.

Unfortunately, this humanistic worldview has spilled over into Christian families. Many parents professing Christianity have unwittingly adopted this unbiblical view in their parenting practices. Deep down, they believe that their children are “good kids” and that if they control their environment (friends), their education (schooling), and their opportunities (freedoms), that their children will do what is right. This notion is simply not true.

As an administrator of a Christian school, I receive numerous phone calls each year from parents who explain that their children are not performing well at their current school. Without exception, they almost always attribute the problems to “poor teachers” and “hanging out with the wrong crowd.” They are convinced that if they simply put their child in a different environment, that their child will no longer make the same poor choices. That is the deception of humanistic thinking – if a parent can change the outside, the inside will change also. Sadly, history has dictated a much different story.

To which worldview do you subscribe? The next time it is suggested that your child did something wrong, examine your reaction. Is your immediate response to attribute it to some outside influence such as his friends, his school, his music choices, or his internet use?

When we allow our attention to be on these outside sources, we fail to focus on what matters most. To borrow from the popular song title, the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. That is why the Bible says to “keep your heart with all diligence, for out it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

As parents, we must fight the tendency to analyze, rationalize, and otherwise attribute every misdeed by our children to something other than what the Bible says it is.

Sin is sin. By any other name, it’s a humanistic denial of the Truth.

It’s what’s on the inside that matters.
That’s what we’ve taught our children for generations.

Now it’s time for us to practice what we preach.