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Hobbits have hair on the top of their feet. They love mushrooms. They prefer to live in holes in the ground rather than in houses above ground. The do not like boats and are generally uncomfortable with being in or on water. They have a long history, some of it in books, some in stories passed from generation to generation. They live in The Shire, a rather insignificant region of Middle Earth.

When I read (and reread) J. R. R. Tolkein's The Hobbit and the trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, I was fascinated at the amazing world the writer created in his stories of Middle Earth. Not only were there Hobbits, there were Wizards, Orcs, Elves, Dwarfs, and other interesting people, including men. It was a world unlike our own in many ways, with magic, dragons, and talking trees. In other ways it was much like our world; the heroes enjoyed good food and fellowship, grew weary, were terrified at times, and mustered all the courage they could for the fight to the death against evil.

What an amazing capacity man has for creating such an imaginary world. Tolkein is not alone in this of course. There are other worlds created out of imagination, some even more fanciful than Middle Earth. C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy introduces such imaginative alternatives to the way our own world works. And, of course, we have all been delighted with Alice in Wonderland.

Creating such fantasies is a function of man's fertile imagination. We are able to begin with the reality we know around us and break out of its bounds to picture an entirely different world, or several for that matter. The familiar patterns of this beautiful planet seem so normal, so as it should be that we may never ask, 'Why is the world as it is instead of very different?' It is only in books and movies that we give thought to an entirely different world.

Most of us don't give much thought to such questions. We just accept this world and the way it operates as the way it should be. We conclude even before the philosophical debate that this is probably the best of all worlds. Christians see the world as created by a loving and purposeful God. The Bible says that when He made the earth He saw that it was good. I guess I think so too, in spite of the corruption that came with the fall of man in sin.

Christian responsibility requires that we think and act in harmony with the way the world is designed. What it means is simply that the world is as it is, and our thinking and behavior has to be in step with the real world or it won't work very well. We cannot behave responsibly without accepting the way things really are.

Your 'worldview' is what you see as the truth about the way things are in this world. Ronald H. Nash defines a 'worldview' as 'a conceptual scheme by which we consciously or unconsciously place or fit everything we believe or by which we interpret and judge reality.'[1] To simplify this definition we might say your worldview is the big picture in your mind, that takes in everything you know, which you use to test the truth of everything you experience.

Everybody has a worldview, whether he knows it or not. You do not have to be a philosopher. Even the 'spit and whittle' club of retirees at the town square spends most of their time expressing various ideas from their worldviews. Your worldview may not even be the truth, from a scientific or spiritual viewpoint. It is what you have learned that seems to work as a way of explaining what goes on in your world.

Unlike previous generations, today's young people are being exposed to entirely different ways of thinking about the world than their parents were. A whole set of non-Christian ideas is becoming more and more popular under the name 'New Age' thinking. These ideas come from many previously known religious and philosophical systems, along with a good dose of Hinduism. There is no clear and systematic doctrine in the new age movement, but at the center of it is a life-changing mystical experience of some kind.

Another view that is not new, but receives new promotion in today's thinking is 'naturalism.' This is the view of reality that allows for no supernatural. Naturalism is based on the idea that the material universe is all there is of reality. There is no super-natural, nothing in the realm we might call the spiritual. This is the view held by many who think it is more 'scientific' to believe in only what you can see and touch. Much of the popular media takes the naturalistic view, particularly in the 'nature' and 'science' programs we see on television.

Nash suggest three tests for a worldview.[2] In the first place is the test of reason: does it make sense? The second test is the question of experience: does it match with the real world? The third test is from practice: can you live consistently by this philosophy? Exploring these tests is beyond the scope of our discussion. To simplify let's just say that your basic outlook on reality should be reasonable, should be true to the real world, and should work in normal practice. Responsibility requires us to deal truthfully and objectively with the real world.

The faith interpretation we bring to our assessment of the world will radically affect how we see it. The Bible says, 'Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see' (Hebrews 11:1). Faith allows us to 'see' beyond the reach of the senses because God has spoken to us from that spiritual dimension. Faith comes from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17).

Notice the two ways in which faith reaches out beyond the senses. First there is the not yet dimension, what 'we hope for,' hidden from us by the veil of time. Faith is sure about the future when the senses can tell us nothing. Faith's assurance for the future comes from the what God says in Scripture about what the future holds. God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, sees the future and gives us His promises about what to expect.

The second dimension in which faith reaches beyond the senses is 'what we do not see.' This not seen dimension is like the not yet in that we are unable to penetrate the veil that hides it from us. Our sense just cannot grasp it. But faith can also get past the veil of materiality to the non-material, the spiritual dimension. Faith allows us to be 'certain of what we do not see' because God, unseen Spirit, has communicated to us the reality of that unseen dimension. Thus, we live by faith and not by sight alone (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Since we are able to create whole worlds in our minds, we are also able to create versions of this world that are not quite accurate. This common problem is evident when someone says to you, 'I just don't see it that way.' In other words, your version of things, the pictures in your head, doesn't square with his version of things, the pictures in his head.

This is not Wonderland. Neither is it Middle Earth or Perelandra. It is the real world and it has been designed according to patterns set by the Creator. It is also a fallen world, corrupted by sin. It is a world torn by a struggle between good and evil, with both elements woven into every aspect of reality. Responsibility requires that we operate in terms of the way this world really is. This is the law of reality.

In seven basic areas we can see God's original intention and our present condition. Man was created in the image of God in harmony with his grand design. But the fall of man brought about a basic change in his nature. In each area notice the given of our inherent nature and the responsibility which follows. Then look at how the fall of man has affected our present condition.

Identity. God, the I AM, made man worthy and holds him accountable for his value. Psalm 8:5 says of man, 'For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.' Here is the inherent worth that is basic to the nature of man. None of us can really understand who we are without beginning with this high view of man's worth in the mind of God.

With the fall of man, however, the center of his identity shifted from God to himself. Adam and Eve began to think of themselves independent of God. As a result, all of us have doubts about our own worth. Like Adam and Eve, we see our nakedness and want to hide. We naturally try to boost our self-esteem with the approval of others, with externals, with achievement. The only answer, however, is to follow the servant role of Jesus and pay the dividends of selfless service.

Authority. God is sovereign, so He made man autonomous and holds him responsible for his rule. The psalmist writes, 'You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet' (Psalm 8:6). The given of autonomy must be expressed in the responsibility of this rule. In his exercise of God-ordained authority, man was to represent God, for the establishment of his authority on earth.

With the fall of man, however, the source of his authority shifted from God to himself. From God's viewpoint this rebellion 'is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry' (1 Samuel 15:23). The issue we struggle with here is control. We strive to control our lives, but find them plagued with loose ends and uncontrollables. We naturally try to demand our own way but have trouble enforcing this self-centered authority, resulting in anger, resentment, and bitterness. Only as we yield to God's authority will we gain control.

Relationships. Since God is personal, he made man personal, and holds him responsible for his treatment of others. God intended man to have the joy of personal relationships. He said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him' (Genesis 2:18). So he made man a communicator, social, gregarious. He intended him to live in harmony with his fellow man as an expression of the harmony of God's creation.

The motive in his relationships shifted, however, from God to himself, from giving to grasping. As a result he found little real love in relationships as compared with what God intended. Instead he experienced conflict, alienation, and loneliness. Without the love of God, he is ill-equipped to love another. His natural inclination is to seek love by attention from others. The answer for the Christian is to give love by his caring attention to others.

Purpose. God is purposive and made man in his image as purposive. He holds him responsible for his own dreams in life. 'There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand' (Proverbs 19:21). So man is a dreamer, an achiever. He was intended to be a participant in the grand purpose of God on earth, so that his will might be done.

With the fall, however, the source of his purpose shifted from God to himself. He sought to pursue his own dreams apart from God. This resulted in an emptiness in the pursuit of his own aims. The Christian can never be satisfied with a self-centered aim in life. He will be therefore frustrated, apathetic, and bored. Though he is inclined to seek fulfillment by pursuing his own dreams, he can gain fulfillment only by pursuing God's plans.

Possessions. God, as the Owner of all that is, made man possessive and holds him responsible for his management. God intended him to serve a steward of creation, carrying out the policies of the Owner. The Bible offers a clear picture of the intention of God for man's stewardship on earth, for 'it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.' (1 Corinthians 4:2). So man, by his very nature territorial and a collector, is to manage what God puts in his hands as His steward.

With the entry of sin, however, the ownership of man's possessions shifted from God to himself. He is no longer clear about his role as manager of God's resources. Rather than manager, he thinks of himself as owner. He tries to acquire and secure possessions for himself. But a Christian can never gain security in temporal possessions. He will feel insecure, will worry, be greedy and materialistic. Instead of seeking security by protecting his treasure, he is to gain security by faithfully managing God's treasure.

Morality. God is holy and righteous. Based on the moral absolutes of his own character He made man moral and holds him responsible for his actions. In giving the Law through Moses, God began with the charge, 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord you God am holy.' (Leviticus 19:2). God created man with a built-in moral guide we call 'conscience.' He is able to judge morality and see the difference between good and evil behavior.

In the fall of man the standard for his morality shifted from God to himself. So, apart from God, he became confused in his moral understanding. 'Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness' (Isaiah 5:20). His natural inclination is to seek his own pleasure by satisfying his appetites. As a result he suffers from guilt, regret, and shame. The Christian will rather want to seek purity by obeying God's law. He will reject the demands of his fallen nature.

Situation. God is the Creator of all that is. We marvel at the variety and beauty of his creation. He also made man creative and holds him responsible for his situation. 'Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.' (Genesis 2:15). Man is ever the gardener, the fixer, the reshaper, the changer of his world. God intended that he be creative in shaping the world for God's purposes.

In the failure of responsibility, however, the desire for man's situation shifted from God to himself. As a result, in his independence from God, his world seems hostile to his happiness. No matter where he turns, trouble breaks out to spoil his situation. In response he seeks happiness by escaping his circumstances. The Christian, however, gains joy by living beyond circumstances. He knows that he can deal creatively with any circumstance. He remains content whatever his situation because his happiness is not tied to present conditions.

Responsibility requires realism, dealing with the real world on its own terms, even if you would prefer a different design. But this realism includes the most significant factor, the presence of God. The message in your emotions can lead you to a failure of responsibility in some area of your interaction with your world. Acting responsibly at that point will address the problem. But your solution must be in harmony with the design of creation as interpreted in the biblical worldview.

Reality is the first law of responsibility, dealing honestly with the real world. It means overcoming your natural subjectivity with an objective point of view.