Wisdom Matters: Why the World’s Advice Falls Short of God’s Ways

0:00 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast, with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture. Did you know that right now, the only hindrance to you and I experiencing the wisdom of God, which is not from this world, is you. It's me. It's us. The God who's eternal is still the God who's eternal. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen.

0:42 Now open your hearts to what God's Word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. I want to show you this. This is from Psychology Today. This is from the article. You can read it yourself later. Each day we make hundreds of decisions that all shape our reality, identity, and story. Too often we are oblivious to the feelings, thoughts, emotions, and sensations that drive our actions. This is not a Christian publication, I'm telling you. Mindful decision-making requires pausing and following these ten steps. I agree with that part. But let's watch, because listen, friends, the Bible tells us that there's a wisdom of this world that is very, very displeasing to God.

1:27 And then there's the wisdom that's given to us from above. I hope I speak for all of us from here over to here that we want the wisdom of God. Okay, watch this. Ten things that author gave us. So number one is this. Number one is make time and clear your mind. So man says, or I wanted to, survey says, make time and clear your mind. All right. Bible says, Psalm 27, verse 14, wait on the Lord. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the Lord.

2:09 Okay. So psychology can only take you so far. Psychology will never mention God. But psychology knows enough that you need to clear your mind. You can clear your mind. Listen, what's inside there? Nothing. You can hear crickets. God says, no, wait on me, and I'm going to strengthen your heart. Number two, survey says, identify the challenge before you. Know what you want to achieve. Hello? Most of the time, we as humans know we want to achieve based upon what we want. But how do we know what we want is what God wants?

2:49 Bible says, Jeremiah 29, 11. God says, for I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. All God's people said amen to that, right? Survey says, number three, determine goals both short and long term. Okay, okay. Nothing wrong with that. But how are you going to do that without God? Bible says, Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths. That's way better. That's way better. Number four, survey says, get smart.

3:33 Some of us are old enough to remember get smart. Who was anything but smart. Bible says, Proverbs 4, verse 7, Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. And in all you're getting, get understanding. Survey says, number five, Acknowledge your biases. We all have them. It's true. That's why I can't trust myself. I was talking to somebody recently. I don't remember where. But I reminded them of something or I told them what I always have to remind myself. I'm the worst part about me. I am my greatest danger. Oh, Satan is going to.

4:13 Satan, Satan, sure. But hey, here's the deal. I think Satan is saying, let's just let Jack make his own decisions for a while. This would be great for us. If I'm thinking on my own, it's a disaster. Lord, what do you want to do? So yeah, we have our biases. Our biases are always self-leaning. And people say, I disagree with you because I hate myself, Pastor. I'm not biased. I hate myself. I hate myself so much. I wish I didn't live anymore. I hate myself.

4:53 Why? I'm so ugly. I don't have any money. If you hate yourself for these reasons, you should be happy about it. If you hate yourself for these reasons, think about it. If you hate yourself, that means you're saying about yourself, I deserve nothing good, nothing right. I should be ugly, mean, and gross because I hate myself. It's a dog chasing the tail. Stop with your bias and realize this. Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Listen, before you ever knew him, he knew you.

5:34 Before you were ever born. He knew all about you. And he loves you anyway. Spurgeon said, the great Charles Spurgeon said, I'm so glad that God called me into his family before I was ever born. Because he wouldn't have called me after I was born. Of course he was joking because that's not biblical theology, but it was cute. Matthew 6, 32 and 33 says, These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. But your heavenly father already knows all your needs. Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously. That simply means do the right thing. and he will give you everything you need.

6:18 Survey says, number six, take stock of your values. All right, that's nice, but your values differ than my values, but God's values never change. Galatians 5 verse 16 starts by saying, I say then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another. Lord, I want to walk in the spirit. My values, I don't trust them. My values can change. God never changes. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Survey says, number seven, explore your options. Okay? Now that's a great thing.

6:58 That's great counsel. Explore your options. That's good. But listen, again, without godly guidance, it could be a disaster. What if all your options are very, very limited? Bible says in Psalm 27, for one thing have I desired, that will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Here it is. This is the awe of God. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. Here's what happens. When the world says, well, you've got options on this, and the Christian drives the world nuts because the Christian goes like this. Thank you very much for that information. Those are my options?

7:39 Yes, those are your options. I tell you what, I'll get back to you tomorrow. I'm going to pray about it. I remember being very, very young, about 22 years old, and I was offered a job that was way beyond me, But I was offered a job by a global corporation. It was amazing. 100 or 200,000 employees. But they said, you're the right man for this job. I didn't believe so. I didn't think so. But all these other people were applying for the job and all these people were being interviewed. The series of interviews would have killed most people. The only reason why I survived it is because I didn't think they were going to hire me.

8:21 So I didn't take it seriously. In fact, at the end, six hours of total interviews, at the end, I said, and his name was Mark. He said, okay, and so that's it. And I said, that's it. So are we all done? Yeah, we're done. And I said, okay, well, here's actually the reason why we've been having these interviews. It has nothing to do with this job. Because I'm not qualified for this job. It must be because God wants me to tell you about his son, Jesus Christ. And I told him up one side down the other. That guy sat there and then his response was this. I used to go to church.

9:01 I don't go anymore. I got hired. I got hired. I was there 13 years. We became friends. And he wound up accepting Christ. And he's been walking with Jesus. And so here's your option. And so listen, I've looked at the punchline. The punchline was this. He said, you're hired. And I said, I'm going to pray about it with my wife, Lisa. What? So then they called the next day. Mr. Hubs. That's how nice of the place it was. Mr. Hubs.

9:41 Mr. Mallinckrodt has made his decision. He'd like you to make your decision. And I said, we're still praying about it. There are people in line to get this job. I knew I wasn't supposed to have it. Then it became super obvious. I got to trust God because all these other people that are super qualified and I'm not, they want me to take this position. I took the position. The rest of that, I'll tell you some other day, it was insane. For 13 years, it was amazing. I cried. The day that I left, I left. The day that I resigned, I cried all the way home because it was such an amazing ministry because what happened here was this church was growing and I couldn't do both jobs. It was killing me.

10:23 What's your options? I'm not into options anymore. What? God, I am going to stand here and you show me what to do. Be still and know that I am God, the Bible says. Wait upon him. You'll never be put to shame. Survey says, number eight, consider the consequences of each action. That's good. Psalm 39. 139 verse 23 says, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties and see if there's any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Wow.

11:05 Number nine is make your decisions and commit to taking action, they said. Psalm 32 verse 8 says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go. I will guide you with my eye. God says that. I want to be led by the Lord that way. Number 10 says, check in over time, if appropriate. I'm so glad we don't have to do that as believers. Excuse me, God, I'll check in with you in a few weeks. Okay. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 1.17, please get this, everybody. Pray without ceasing. You know what that means? So how am I going to go to work?

11:45 How am I going to eat if I'm just praying all the time? That's not what it means. It means you live your life. Think about your dish, like your radar, your TV thing, or a television station, or SpaceX, or SpaceX. Think about your head having a dish on it. In contact with God, constantly talking. Where are you? I'm at work. Where are you? At the beach. Where are you? Eating. Where are you? Goofing off. Where are you? Always talking to him.

12:25 I've told you before, I'm going to say it again. In a way, life, for the believer, there should not be an amen. Amen. Until we're all done. I mean done with life. Our whole life when we breathe. Look, I guarantee you this. You are going to breathe your entire life until you die. At the end of your breathing, that's the amen. That's the amen to God. Why? Because in the meantime, we are in a constant state of communication with God at all times. Verse 7 tells us, Being in awe of God, getting God right by knowing who we can become.

13:06 Verse 7, as it is in verse 15, it's one of those theme verses. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Listen to Albert Barnes, the wonderful pastor, theologian, Albert Barnes of early America. In biblical theology, God-ordained wisdom is evidence of true religion. Think about that for a moment. People who know God walk in levels of wisdom, ever increasing, by the way, just as godliness, piety, the knowledge of God and the fear of God and the sincere and uniform obedience to God will be seen by all.

13:47 This is the wisdom of God, which is from above. Albert Barnes. Isn't that beautiful? You'll detect that in people's lives. And well did Barnes speak, because in light of the words of the Apostle James, listen to what James says, James chapter 3, verse 13. Who is wise in understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter, listen up everybody, if you have bitter envy, I know people like this, You know people like this. You can't stand to be around them because when you're around them, you feel like you need to go take a shower.

14:28 They're really hard to be around because they're filled with envy. They can't stand that someone else got the promotion and they're bitter about it. Or they hear somebody being blessed by God and they just grind their teeth. That's a wicked heart. Ugh. They have bitter envy, self-seeking in your hearts. Do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. Ugh. And where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

15:11 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. Wow, God make me like that. Church, listen, we all need to grow in wisdom. Lord, we're asking you right now that you'd give us that kind of wisdom. The wisdom from above. That's what we need. I want to show you these things. Worldly wisdom sounds like this. Look out for number. Absence makes the heart grow. You don't sound too enthusiastic about these things.

15:51 You only live... If you can't beat them, he who dies with the most toys, he had it. A woman's work is never done. If you can't always get what you want. And I never heard this from her before. Have you heard this one before? A golden key can open any door. I've never heard this. Have you heard this one before? Raise your hand. That guy has. Those two. Well read right there. I've never heard that. I don't know anything about that. That's what the world says. Hey, buddy, get all the gusto you can, man. You only live once. He who dies with the most toys wins.

16:33 Wins what? Wins what? And all of these things, Wisdom matters. Wisdom. We're in the 21st century. You know that doesn't rattle God. Did you know that right now, the only hindrance to you and I experiencing the wisdom of God, which is not from this world, is you, is me. It's us. The God who's eternal is still the God who's eternal. We are his children. Listen, listen, By an ancient theology, how are you saved?

17:14 Christ went to the cross and died in our place because we owe God a payment. You say, what payment? Adam and Eve sinned. I didn't even know them. Of course, we've not met them, but their DNA is inside of us. They sinned then, and it's written in the Bible. Yikes. You and I sin just like them. When the world knocks on the door and offers us this, that, or the other, do we seek our own counsel? That's what Eve did, you know. She might have stepped back.

17:55 I don't know why I put my hands in my pockets. She didn't have any pockets. She might have stepped back, and she's very amazing. She's talking to the serpent, and she has no problem. She didn't say, yikes, a talking snake. This is weird. She's talking to the snake. By the way, the snake stood up in those days. That's weird. That's creepy. How did it walk like that? Like a pencil walking. And so the snake talks to her. I don't think the snake, when it spoke to her, remember, it's Satan speaking through the snake.

18:39 He like possesses the snake. Satan enters the snake. And the snake says, hey, Eve, what's up? Yo. She goes, yo. Hi, snake. Have you considered the tree over there? She didn't think anything was wrong. And the snake says, you ought to... You ought to go over there and get that fruit. Well, God said not to have that fruit. The day that we eat of it, we're going to die. And the snake says, you shall not surely die. Translation. Has God said it? Really? Maybe you ought to exercise your options, girl.

19:20 You ought to think about yourself more often because here's the thing. If you do that, you're going to see that it's really good. It tastes fantastic. And it's going to provide for you a lot of self-assurance and pride. And it's going to make you wise. Isn't it interesting? That was one of Satan's lines to her. If you do this, you're going to be three times blessed. Most important, you're going to be wise. The Bible says when she heard that and then looked at the tree, she concluded, I'm going to do it. That's where she sinned. All those who are able to worship have options.

20:01 You know that. Angels and humans have the option to worship God or not. You can't have real worship without real choice. You can't have real love without real choice. That's why God says today, choose today whom you'll serve. And so I choose today to give my life to you and to live for you because I'm done living for myself. This Jack Hibbs podcast, as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities, are listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.