Biblical Worldview Essay

As I have learned in this course, and the last five months of rebirth and renewal in my Christian faith, we all are created in the image of God. He desires a personal relationship with every one of us, and He seeks each of us out to have that relationship. Yet many of us turn away from Him and his love for a multitude of reasons. Inspired by my own life experiences, my future career plans are to become a peer mentor, or crisis counselor helping other fellow veterans with their life challenges. That is if I ever go back to work, as my accident in September has left me unable to work, in which case I would then use my knowledge and life experiences to do the same but in a volunteer capacity. I feel that this is what I am destined to do, and on the day of my wreck, God gave me that message. By using a foundation based on my Christian worldviews, and personal experiences I feel that I can greatly help to inspire, motivate, and encourage my patients to not give up, to know that they are not alone in their struggles, and that everyone has a life plan, they just need guidance finding it. One example I could use without evangelizing to my patients is the power of renewal. A lot of veterans with PTSD usually do not have a strong Christian faith as I once didn’t, and sometimes totally discount God and religion, (as I had done). Renewal is the process of restoring spiritual strength coming from new birth. The experience of coming home from a combat zone after over a year and having to readjust to civilian life can be perceived as form of new birth. By working with the patient on these issues I can then introduce my own personal experiences, while incorporating my Christian worldview of renewal in my guidance. There are two Scriptures that really hit home the explanation of renewal. The first is Romans 12:2, that says “to no longer conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The second Scripture touches me deeply and I believe many of my future patients could identify with this passage. Ezekiel 36:26 say, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” That is such a powerful and inspiring passage! Many of us combat veterans who have been through so much often refer to hearts as being black and stone cold, so it is easy to relate to this as a PTSD sufferer. By spending time with patients, being honest with my patients, and developing trust, I could then speak of this passage without “pushing” my own worldviews or beliefs on them but show them how it relates to them and me regardless of their belief system. Because it is such a strong message, one cannot deny its teaching. Redemption is also a great topic for PTSD sufferers. I know this because I have suffered from severe PTSD for 10 years now. This is a topic that can be talked about with a patient using Christian beliefs but not pushing the Christian agenda. It opens things up for them to consider, and may trigger something ever greater inside them. Having been a combat veteran who has attempted suicide, cursed God, and turned my back on the world, if by becoming a counselor, and guiding my patients with my worldview saves one soul, one life, then I will feel that I have accomplished what God intended me to do in this life. However I can base my experiences of my own redemption and express them to my patients to help them to know that they are not alone, I will do it. As a peer mentor I can show them that even though they may have survivor’s guilt, anxiety, or bad self-worth, there is always time and opportunity to seek redemption and come to peace with the things they have seen and done. That is what a peer mentor is for, they aren’t “shrinks”, or counselors, in their eyes they are just as they are. Having seen and done many of the things that most of my clients have done gives me instant credibility, which helps with the trust issue that most other peer mentors have to break through before getting to common ground. Many a combat veteran will not even speak to anyone who hasn’t done what they have done because so many people just cannot understand what it is that we as combat soldiers must do and endure. This is when I can use my worldviews and how I came to believe them to help guide them and inspire them. Psalm 51:1-2 is very inspiring, and for those who grieve with PTSD, and suffer everyday this is an ideal passage to reference to when dealing with redemption. It would serve as a means to aid them in their quest for forgiveness for sins that they may feel they committed while in combat. In conjunction with renewal, and redemption is regeneration. Jeremiah 24:7 is a perfect passage to reference when counseling those troubled with PTSD. It say that they will be given a heart to know Him, and that He is Lord, and they will return to Him with all their heart. During many peer mentoring sessions, emotions run high. There are angry times, sad times, and sometimes happy times. There are times of crude jokes that only military minded people would understand, but it is all bonding and fellowship, whether they realize it or not. A lot of tears are shed and many walls over time are broken down. To most they are life changing moments, when that counselor finally gets through, and all the pain, sorrow, hatred, and regret floods over. Working as a peer mentor and assisting combat veterans with PTSD is for those who want to help, guide, and inspire. Isn’t that what one’s Christian worldview should consist of? We are to care for and love each other as we would love ourselves. It would be very easy to blend the Christian worldview in this vocation. But this career is a vocation of calling, and one must have the correct mind set and beliefs to be successful in helping others. It isn’t about the money, it isn’t about power. It is about being compassionate, attentive, loving, and believing that the power of change that happened in me can be the vessel which can ultimately lead others to a life of renewal, redemption, regeneration and one day a born again Christian. One who accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior by mouth, and with a pure heart, asks for forgiveness. Peer mentoring can be rewarding, jubilant, and through helping others it can only strengthen my worldview, and help me to live a better life as well.