Imagine this: a man jumps off a wall, flapping his arms vigorously. For a brief moment, his quest for flight seems attainable. But all too suddenly, the earth below meets him, and his ambitious endeavour for flight ends abruptly. Dismayed but determined, he tries again. And again. But, unsurprisingly, he meets the same painful result every time.

It’s a silly story. But it illustrates a point: we will make better decisions in life when we understand the forces at play around us. If we have a reliable way of describing the world we live in, we will be well-equipped to make better decisions for living in the world.

However, the quest to make sense of the world has proven difficult for the human race. Theories abound on how to make the most of life. But very few of these theories provide a robust description of why life is the way it is. These theories often encourage people to pursue flight (metaphorically) without explaining the reality of gravity.

Despite its rapid fall from favour in modern society, the Christian faith provides a compelling explanation of the world around us. When understood rightly, it provides a perspective on life that can direct us well. Many will claim it doesn’t, but criticisms often stem from an incomplete and caricatured understanding.

Perhaps the most common misconception is that Christianity, “like all religions”, is a set of rules people must comply with to appease some grand “rule-making” God in the sky. On the more cynical side, this God is a joy-killing tyrant who insists on restraining natural human desires while failing to suppress harsh human suffering. He holds us to ransom through his rules, controlling what we do through the vague hope of heavenly reward.

This perception assumes the primary focus of Christianity is on what we do and how we should behave to win God’s favour. Motivation for good behaviour is driven by what we might get from it. If we do this, then God will do that—quid pro quo. If we don’t do what God wants, we’re labelled sinners. Under this assumption, life is reduced to a dull, caged and transactional experience. We’re coerced to work hard, but for what? More of the same? If this is what true life is, then why would I want to endure that for eternity? The reward hardly seems worth it.

While this way of understanding the Christian faith is common (even within Christian circles), it does not reflect the Bible’s teaching. Before it addresses the question of what we should or shouldn’t do, the Bible first seeks to explain why things are the way they are. It is concerned with being before it is with doing.

This order–being before doing–is critical. It can radically reframe our approach to life. To be sure, proper behaviour is a vital aspect of the Christian faith. God did not intend us to be inert bundles of matter with no drive. He created us to be active and creative and dynamic. But understanding how and where that activity (the doing) fits into the overall system of life God created is critical. If we want to get the doing part right and make good choices in life, we need to understand the being part first. If we don’t get the being part right, the doing part will be askew at best. We’ll make better choices in all areas of life when we have a better handle on where our actions come from and the broader context in which they are being made.

How, then, does the Bible illustrate this priority of “being” over “doing”? Well, there are (at least) four foundational teachings of the Christian faith where it is apparent. And when we allow our thoughts to be shaped by these teachings and align our perspective to how God presents the order of his world to us, we will be well placed not simply to make good choices but the best choices. These four foundational pillars are:

1. God: the perfect being
2. Mankind: an inherited being
3. Sin: corruption of being
4. Salvation & Sanctification: restoration of being