Some time ago I came across the following poem:
My dad gave me a 1 dollar bill,
’Cause I’m his smartest son!
And I swapped it for 2 shiny quarters,
’Cause 2 is more than 1!
And then I took the quarters,
And traded them to Lou,
For 3 dimes (I guess he didn’t know),
That 3 is more than 2.
Just then along came old blind Bates,
And just ’cause he can’t see,
He gave me 4 nickels for my 3 dimes,
And 4 is more than 3.
And I took the nickels to Mr. Coombs,
Down at the seed-feed store,
And the fool gave me 5 pennies for them,
And 5 is more than 4.
And then I went and showed my dad,
And he got all red in the cheeks,
And closed his eyes and shook his head,
Too proud of me to speak!
Sometimes we are not as smart as we think we are. We use our “wisdom” to get ahead…only to find that we have not gotten ahead at all…but have in fact fallen behind. Why is this? Because there is a difference between earthly wisdom and Godly wisdom.
Earthly wisdom is generally premised in envy and self-seeking. Such wisdom tells us that telling a small “white” lie is okay in order to get ahead. Such wisdom tells us that the rules of business and the rules of life are different…in business we will have to lie, cheat and deceive to succeed. Such wisdom tells us that ultimately we need to look out for no one other than ourselves.
But, Godly wisdom is completely different. Godly wisdom is pure and gentle. It is willing to bow down before others. It is humble and merciful, full of goodness. Such wisdom tells us that all lies are from the devil and the truth shall set us free. Such wisdom tells us that business is a part of life and we must never compromise our ideals. Such wisdom tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves.
This week I really wanted to go to the fair. But, no one would come with me. Earthly wisdom told me to throw a tantrum and get my way . But, Godly wisdom told me to be patient and pray. I chose Godly wisdom and ended up going to the fair not only once, but twice!
This reminds me of an incident with a friend of mine. She applied for a job. And her husband convinced her to lie on her CV. She said she had certain certifications that she did not have. Well, the employer asked her to produce the certificates. Now, she was in a bind. She thought to lie again and say that the certificates had been lost. Worldly wisdom said this would be best. The employer would probably not push too hard and give her the job. But, Godly wisdom said to tell the employer the truth, even if this meant risking not getting the job. We prayed. She decided to tell the truth. And guess what? The employer was so impressed by her honesty that he hired her immediately and said, “You are just the type of person I was looking for!”
I want to challenge you. This week, try to use Godly wisdom instead of earthly wisdom when making your decisions…and see the difference.
And if you are thinking, “But I do not have Godly wisdom,” ask God. The Bible tells us that God gives wisdom freely to those who ask! See James 1:5.
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