Matthew 7.20

“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

The third (bottom) leg of our worldview triangle represents the outcomes issuing in our lives as indicators that we are or are not making progress toward our vision of the good life.

As we discipline our lives in various ways, that discipline shapes the way we think, how we feel, and what we value as top priorities. The actions that come out in our lives are the reflection of the discipline to which we have submitted over time.

Actions take the form of words and deeds. How and what we talk about, what we do and how we do it: These are the “fruits” that issue in our lives from our worldview vision and the disciplines we submit to in order to pursue that vision. The outcomes allow us to realize a measure of our vision, and they tell us whether we are on track for a greater measure of that vision in the days to come.

Outcomes take many forms and expressions. Ultimately, they boil down to what we do and what we say, deeds and words.

We demonstrate what matters to us – our vision – by the ways, for example, we spend our money and use our time, as well as the things we talk about with most interest and enthusiasm. The outcomes a secular/materialist seeks relate to acquiring and enjoying material possessions and experiences. These tend to be rather self-centered outcomes, but the person holding to this worldview is not averse to sharing his outcomes with others, especially those he loves. In the main, however, his goal in life, and the indicators that tell him he is reaching his goal, are realized in terms of things and circumstances.

The outcomes of our worldview are visible in everything we do, since everything we do is the result of what we seek and how we seek it.

Act: Think about the time of your life. As you do, what disciplines appear most frequently in your time? Is there any “discipline” of wasting time? Are all the disciplines of your life clearly focused on your vision of the good life? Talk with a Christian friend about these questions.

T. M. Moore

Jesus came proclaiming the Kingdom of God – another primary theme of Scripture. Order a copy of The Gospel of the Kingdomfrom our online store, and learn how you can become more effective at proclaiming this wonderful Good News.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.In the Gates