Let’s Stop Trusting the World’s Wisdom

I remember the article in surprising detail. It was in a teen magazine featuring a well-known pop star. Part of the article focused on this star’s relationships and how she decided which ones to hold on to and which ones to cut loose. She made those decisions by evaluating who lifted her up and helped her shine. People who added value to her experiences, people who made her comfortable, people who validated her choices—those were the ones given a seat at her friendship table. 

While I can’t claim to know what it’s like to navigate the added elements of stardom, I do know the effect this advice had on me, a teenage girl trying to sort out conflicting pieces of information from media, friends, and church.

Taking It In

Her advice didn’t sit quite right with me, but then again, I wasn’t as old and wise as this glossy pop star I saw featured in the pages of my magazine. Maybe she knew what she was talking about. As I thought about it, I noticed the contradictions between her perspective on relationships and other advice I had heard like:

• Seek out the person sitting alone
• Don’t let others walk all over you
• Relationships require compromise
• Don’t tolerate betrayal or dishonesty
• Forgive one another when someone wrongs you

So how was I supposed to know which information was right and trustworthy? I was taking in pieces from different puzzles and trying to force them into a cohesive, understandable picture. Three of those five recommendations contain Biblical truth, but I was putting it all in the same mental bucket. The words from the teen magazine were garnering the same level of importance as Scripture. I wasn’t consciously making that choice, but I hadn’t yet learned the Bible’s sufficiency and trustworthiness to speak into all areas of my life. I viewed the Bible and Jesus as things that fit into my Sunday box. They weren’t yet spilling over into my weekdays and pervading all aspects of my life. 

Sorting It Out

If we think of our life as a pie chart, do we find we’ve tucked God into one sliver of that pie? Or do we allow him to encompass every part of our lives like vanilla ice cream on apple pie a la mode?

If we think of our life as a pie chart, do we find we've tucked God into one sliver of that pie? Or do we allow him to encompass every part of our lives like vanilla ice cream on apple pie a la mode? Click To Tweet

The issue of keeping or cutting ties on a relationship is one example of a decision with many different outcomes depending on the lens we use to view it. If we try to combine multiple lenses, well, just imagine looking at the world through more than one pair of prescription eyeglasses. Fuzzy. Distorted. That’s what I was seeing until God gave me a lightbulb moment to help me understand that only his wisdom is true wisdom. I didn’t need to consult multiple sources or check out how my friends were handling things. All I needed was to open my Bible and look to Jesus. The flood of relief I felt in the glow of that lightbulb moment is still memorable today some 15+ years later.

Spotting the Lies

I recently finished reading a contemporary fiction novel and was struck by this quote.

‘What you’ve got to remember,’ he said, ‘is that you’re number one. If you don’t care enough about yourself, who will? You need to believe in yourself. Believe that you have the power to turn things around, fix your business and your love life.’

The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock

Do you see the lies here? We are not number one, God is. Whether we do or don’t care about ourselves, God always will. We don’t need to believe in ourselves, we need to believe in Jesus. We don’t need to believe in our power but our smallness in light of an almighty God. Our priority is not our problems but seeking God and laying down our burdens.

Before you think I’m being too hard on the author and her book, I’ll say that as a story and piece of fiction I enjoyed it very much. But this as an example of a worldview that Jesus followers become tempted to incorporate into their perspectives and beliefs. We read, see, or hear ideas similar to this, and we think they make logical sense and sound pretty good. Do not be deceived friend, “for the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25)

Wisdom for Today

At a time like this when the topics of racism and injustice are called to our nation’s center stage, many of us are wondering how to respond, what action to take, and how to seek wisdom in this area. Here are a few verses to meditate on and pray through while asking God to help us see as he sees and love as he loves.

Listen. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” – James 1:19

Persevere. “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” – Hebrews 12:3

Love. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” – 1 Peter 4:8

Let’s stop trusting the world’s wisdom. The Bible and God’s wisdom are sufficient for me and for you and for every circumstance. Do you feel the weight lift? There is freedom in knowing we have everything we need for life and godliness at our disposal. 

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5 (ESV)