The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29
Deuteronomy 29:29
This text teaches two aspects to the human understanding of God’s will. There is the revealed will. They are the things revealed and written down in scripture like the 10 commandments and the teachings of Christ. Then there is the secret will God’s knowledge of what will happen absolutely. While we have glimpse of the secret will as a general rule it is understood to be unknown to us.
It follows that when we make a ethical decision, because we don't know the secret will of God, we often don't know the consequences of our actions (like an ethical version of the butterfly effect). No matter how well-intentioned we may need to guard against hubris (pride). We should always understand a little error to be in our good works. A person who knows there need for forgiveness and assume some wrong in the doing of good is the person who will never stray far from the gospel. And hubris, as the ancient Greeks taught, can destroy us. We need only look at the Pharisees.
Reinhold Niebuhr prayer was for this kind of humility. The prayer was longer than just what is often used. The whole prayer is a deeper look into wisdom, courage and serenity as outlined in the life of Jesus. Take a moment to jump into the prayer you just might find yourself in a ‘calf deep’ puddle of the presence of God.
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
The will of God our aim in navigating life skillfully, sometimes it can be a daunting task. We desire to do wrongs sometimes other times we forget to do right. In the end, we can’t be sure of those things clearly laid down in scripture. One theologian’s description of politics is telling as to how this difficult task can feel. ‘Politics is the art of finding approximate solutions to basically insoluble problems.' Ethics can feel like ‘finding approximate solutions to basically insoluble problems.” But like all Christians we are sure God will help us in our journey if we understand the biblical mandates (revealed will) and give our whole selves in worship to God. Paul explains it as a reasonable response to Christ’s work of redemption. In Romans 12:1-2, he writes:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
So to know we must grow. As we journey with God through this world we are transformed and equipped to test and approve God’s will. We are transformed into the image of Jesus. Jesus is our picture of one who navigated life skillfully yet that disturbs me because he got killed! What that tells me is the will of God is a dangerous place but a place where resurrection life also dwells. This brings me to three thought on the life of Christ that can form our hearts to know the ‘deep magic’(as C.S. Lewis would say) of the secret will of God1. Jesus’ prayer life was humble and honesty how much more should our prayer life. In praying “God, give us" we imply that we understand we can not do it alone, replete in the word "give” is a humble acknowledgment of the emptiness of our hands and the limitation of our reach. In prayer we give recognition before God and go on record against ourselves that we have failed and need help. Confessing we truly have natural limitations and spiritual weakness, that our actions have been wet with pride and stained through by sin. In this way, Prayer is a testimony against ourselves where we give witness to our spiritual pride and go on record that we have committed the treason of self-sufficiency.
2. Wisdom in the life of Jesus is seen in his God-soaked vision of the world. Wisdom also called Prudence stands with justice, fortitude and moderation as one of the four cardinal virtues in Christian ethics. This virtue is the exercise of sound judgment in practical affairs, a sound judgment that comes from the fear of the Lord. In Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10, the fear of the Lord is called the beginning or foundation of wisdom. Fear to the Hebrew did not mean terror but more respect and awe. the modern idea of hero worship comes closes to the Hebrew idea. So fear or heart felt respect for 'who God is' is the begins of wisdom. This implies a new perspective from which we see the world and our lives. Wisdom then is seeing our lives and the world by the light of God.
If we compare 'prudence' and its worldly counterfeit 'cunning' we can gain some clarity. The difference between the two is found in the way one sees the world. The Christian understanding of the world includes the existence and nature of God, moral order of the world and moral implications of human actions. In this context, prudence is different from cunning in that it takes into account the supernatural good. For example, take the decision of persecuted Christians to be martyred rather than deny their faith. A Christian considers the choice prudent. From the point of view of a non-believer pretending to deny their faith could be considered prudent but it is only cunning. Some have supposed that the wisdom a person possess can measured by some basic criteria.
* A wise person has self-knowledge.
* A wise person seems sincere and direct with others.
* Others ask wise people for advice.
* A wise person's actions are consistent with their ethical beliefs.
Wisdom brings with it a "spiritual clarity” about life that gives discernment to know what we can change and what even with all our best effort we can not change.
3. Jesus prayers were deeply theocentric. Loving God is good. Being devoted is better. Seeing all things in light of God is best. it is interesting to note that all three virtues, wisdom, serenity and courage can only be functional if God is at the center. Serenity is only possible if God is seen as sovereign and in control. Courage is sustained in the face of adversity when our confession is “if God be for me who can be against me.” In wisdom it is clearly in seeing God for who he is and how he made the world to work that we gain the discernment to know when to act with courage and when to accept with serenity.
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