In his best-seller, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the “10,000-hour rule.” His notion is that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated and intentional practice to master a complex skill, such as playing the violin, or a particular field, such as architecture. As a rule of thumb, Gladwell is on to something. We all recognize the dedication and commitment needed to become an expert. There is no substitute for putting in the work. However, greatness only comes from the combination of aptitude and time. No amount of practice, study, drill, repetition, or dedication can overcome a dearth of talent. For if time is all it took, the PGA tour would be really crowded.
Since all have the same 24 hours to use each day, it seems important to consider the other part of the equation which does not exist in equal measure – aptitude. One way to think about aptitude is to consider what comes naturally and how you are wired. Personality and gift assessments can be useful to identify these because talent matters. We still live in a meritocracy regardless of what some would have us believe.
While it is important to identify natural gifts, another way to help clarify our bent is to consider the flip side of aptitude – ineptitude. In our current age of therapeutically created self-esteem, that is not based on objective reality, embracing limitations is just not done. Some might even call such a notion dangerous. In this system, limitations stand in stark contrast to the pursuit of individual freedom which is quickly becoming the holy grail of our age. Yet, understood rightly, those limitations are liberating because they are grounding and remind us of our place in the created order. What if, instead of celebrating a modern fictional version of Nietzsche’s superman, we took the time to see ourselves rightly as the Apostle Paul urges in Romans 12:3? What if we could see finitude as liberating?
This idea of rightly seeing things is captured by worldview. Some have argued that worldview has been overdone to the extent to which its meaning is assumed, perhaps even incorrectly. But worldview matters, particularly for the Christian since part of what it means to be human is to possess one, and the Christian is specifically interested in living consistently because of redemption. Certainly, not all worldviews are fully or intentionally constructed, or evenly articulated, all people have one and it guides and shapes the way we navigate life. Most worldview formation requires time beyond even the 10,000-hour rule as worldview is a lifelong endeavor. Intentionality, diverse skills, and understanding are all components.
Worldview has often been described as a lens, or a set of presuppositions, or a framework of beliefs. It can be thought of as the way we see things—the big picture. Worldview formation happens regardless of any intent or design; it does not require a formal education, though it certainly will be impacted by education since education is never neutral. Worldviews are susceptible to unintended impact and left unattended can develop unevenly. Not only are worldviews often unintentionally formed even within the church, not all worldviews formed in the church are even Christian or biblical. Worldviews shape both our thoughts and our affections. They guide, consciously or not, our actions.
Since worldviews will form regardless of intent or design, can form wrongly, and impact not only the way a person thinks but how they live, careful and purposeful worldview formation is critical in the church. Thus, for the Christian, a well-constructed worldview, biblically based and reflective of the gospel, is essential.
Note, for example, how a well-developed biblical worldview is integral to fulfilling the Cultural Mandate—found in Gen. 1:28, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion . . .” and strengthened in Gen. 2:15, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” This individual mandate—this call to action—must be known to be obeyed but merely knowing it and seeking to obey it is not enough to produce right action. The obedient servant cannot exercise proper dominion without rightly seeing what is broken and how the world ought to be. This can only be done by Christians with a proper worldview.
At its core, two fundamental questions frame biblical worldview and taken together, a third follows:
Our culture considers all limits to be a curse. In truth, our limits are a blessing. When we recognize our God-given limits, we can thrive in the gifts we do have.
Since the Fall, man has experienced the realities of the curse. This blurs his understanding of the nature of man and God as well as the proper application of freedom. This aspect of our nature is first introduced in the account of the fall in Genesis 1 as it demonstrates one of the implications of our humanity is the desire to be God. Contemporary Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman beautifully captures this desire in his song – God is God (And I am not).
This challenge of rightly seeing the nature of God and man was accelerated by the Enlightenment, because the philosophy of that age eroded established theological answers to those first two basic questions. Man’s position was elevated at the expense of the commonly held view of God. This humanistic view also redefined freedom in terms of individual context and values as opposed to designed purpose and creation.
Christian worldview, on the other hand, functions as a comprehensive and holistic system of truth that applies to all of life. In its most robust form and application, it is the gospel. It is the Truth, not merely a collection of truths that only inform the inner or private realm.
When Martin Luther, in 1517, offered The Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences, more commonly known as the 95 Theses, he was not necessarily or intentionally articulating a particular worldview position. He was instead seeking to publicly debate and dispute the church’s practice of selling indulgences instead of preaching the Gospel as a remedy for sin. As Luther’s thinking refined and his writing sharpened, a consistent theme of low anthropology – the study of humanity – combined with high views of soteriology – the doctrine of salvation – and Christology – the doctrine of Christ, emerged.
In his own way, Luther sheds light on how the two fundamental questions about God and man help frame worldview. The backdrop of the Enlightenment, championing the creation over the creator, informs much of the basis of our contemporary thinking regarding worldview. Luther’s formula of low anthropology and high Christology frames the two basic worldview questions. This helps to caution us against a high view of man, which plagues our world today as it posits man as not only good, but the final authority, and author of his own salvation. We need the corrective found in the Psalms. Here we can see the balance between the wonderful image-bearing status described in Psalm 8 and the fallen reality shown in Psalm 14.
Besides ignoring aptitude, Gladwell fails to mention one place in our society where young people easily eclipse the 10,000-hour mark – the schoolhouse. In fact, the average student spends about 16,000 hours in school from kindergarten to high school graduation. If Gladwell is correct, then students become school experts. School is a place where students learn about their talents and limitations. When school is done well, employing a proper worldview, students regularly encounter their finitude. Those experiences make celebrations of success even sweeter because they intimately understand what it means to achieve.
Since schooling is a significant contributor to worldview formation, embracing finitude is essential. It means that coaches can and should encourage athletes to compete at the appropriate level and it frees parents from pushing their children to become professional or even college athletes when they simply do not have the aptitude. Finitude helps us understand that every student does not get a trophy, nor the lead in the play, or the solo at Convocation, or can be class president. Rightly understood, making the honor roll is just that, an honor and not a right. Academic standing is the result of merit – it is earned, not given.
These principles apply to all of life. Finitude helps us all identify and relish in how God has made us and what He has prepared in advance for us to do. A proper understanding of the nature of man frees us to say Amen and Amen to Psalm 139, “For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” It also drives us to Jesus for “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Our finitude offers a lens for us to see ourselves and God rightly.
If we consider the implications of man being created, we must acknowledge that, we are finite. Man’s finite nature as a created being provides definition and color for the nature of God – the Creator. It fences the notion of freedom in terms of design and purpose – one is most free when function is aligned with the designed form.
Our current culture considers finitude a curse when in truth, it is a blessing. Our finitude is part of reality that needs to be understood before we can find true freedom. Our natural temptation is to over-value man and under-value God. Luther pointed this out at the dawn of the Reformation and it remains true. But over-valuing man leads to the blindness of pride, and nihilism. Man is too sinful to be the center point of any worldview.
It is only when we reverse this equation that we find the freedom of the Gospel. Then, we can rely on God and place our ultimate value in Him. He is the one worthy of worship and praise. And, finally, we can be humble, honest, and willing to learn. We can recognize our limits and gifts, and find freedom in pursuing life in a way that fits our talents and skills. Our role is not to rebel against reality, but to find our place in this world as we come to terms with our finiteness. Then, finitude is finally seen as the gift which God has given us.
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