What’s the difference?
Understanding cause and effect is the nature of worldly wisdom. Learning consequences, weighing cost, discerning outcomes is all evidence of strong worldly wisdom. Understanding these formulas for life help us make wise decisions.
The Bible prescribes worldly wisdom for making many of life’s decisions: determining finances before building a tower, comparing troops before going to war, even weighing the cost of becoming a disciple, and understanding the laws of the harvest, finances, and friendship. Scripture is filled with wonderful examples of good, well-reasoned, cause-and-effect formulas for good decision making.
But when we try to bring “cause-and-effect” theology to work in our favor with God, we discover something that at first is very disconcerting:
Our formulas don’t work with God.
We try to do what Scripture requires, but we never seem to garner greater favor from God. We submit our requests to Him faithfully, and rarely hear back regarding those things requested. We “get our life straightened out”, yet don’t see Him increase blessing at every turn.
“Wait!” you may say, “I HAVE been blessed, and I DO receive favor, and I DO hear from God, and I KNOW He’s worked in my life!”
Good... Me too!
Yet, it never seems to be in response to my praying, or behaving, or changing. In fact, it’s often the exact opposite. When I STOP praying for something and relinquish my desire to Him, He often brings about what I USED to ask for! When I give up behaving, He often brings about a change of heart. When I see Him working it’s rarely where I WANT Him working! Of course, there are some positive, worldly effects associated with all these endeavors. Better behavior may keep me out of trouble, and veracious prayer may make me more mindful of God, and certainly making good changes in my lifestyle can have wonderful impact in my circumstances - thus worldly wisdom certainly works! But God is not responding to my formulaic expectations.
Scripture deals with this, too. Jonah, couldn’t change God’s mind about Nineveh (or his part there). Abraham couldn’t make any of his own plans for God. Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Job, Paul, Peter, and even Jesus all couldn’t get what they wanted from God.
...Because God does not operate with us in the formulaic paradigm of worldly wisdom.
God operates in a purely relational paradigm.
I have struggled with God over my finances, my relationships, my career, my family, travel, health, talents, pain, opportunities, hopes, sin, perspective, spiritual gifts, and more. Yet, nothing I do seems to bring about greater divine empowerment. Because I am consequential and God is relational, we are too often working toward very different goals. I will never undermine God’s sovereign goal for my life. My goal for me is always me. His goal for me is always Him. He wants Himself for me.
When I desire financial security, He is wanting more of Himself for me. When I am trying to be a better person, He is wanting more of Himself for me. When I want a better marriage, a better job, a better house, even better health, God’s goal for me is none of these. He wants a deeper dependence, a richer relationship, and a more authentic experience of Himself for me.
This conflict may seem insurmountable. But God graciously gives us the solution in His Word. The answer to all I need in this life just happens to be Him, as well. He says to seek Him when we’re thirsty. To seek His kingdom (not ours) and His righteousness (not ours), and all that we need will be provided.
Ironically, I seek what I need when God wants to be my pursuit. He doesn’t desire just to be my Provider. He wants to be my Provision. He doesn’t just want to give me security, He wants to be my Fortress. He doesn’t want to make me better, He wants to be my Righteousness.
He doesn’t want to give me a better life. He wants to be my Life.
So, what is the difference between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom? Worldly wisdom is discerning cause & effect...
Godly wisdom is living in, through, and from our
relationship with Christ as our Life.
As we depend upon Him - and abide in Him - as our Source, we experience by grace all He has for us. And He moves us into a deeper realization of our Life, who is Christ.
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