The Pollster God - Travis Agnew

A pollster in our culture is someone who organizes, conducts, and analyzes opinion polls. Due to their research, they can take a cross-section of society, ask some pertinent questions, and provide the rest of the culture with information regarding the leanings of the majority of people polled. In light of this information, many people will acknowledge the trends, adjust their thinking, and align their methods with popular opinion. Whether it is the type of presidential candidate the people are looking for or the kind of menu the restaurant should be offering, we are prone to gather opinions from the masses to determine the direction for our organizations.

If you haven’t noticed, the culture is rapidly changing. That’s why the Pollster God is such an alluring candidate for our societal flavor-of-the-month theology. Because we can’t fathom adhering to archaic directives in such a progressive time, the Pollster God exists to ascertain what people want and then give it to them. As soon as he obtains the direction of the culture, he adjusts his thinking to be relevant with the times. If the prevailing attitude of the society has a particular bent, we assume that God will align himself with the majority’s leanings. What’s ironic about this line of thinking is that each culture is consistently rebuking the culture before it because of its defective perspectives and dangerous practices. The beliefs that a current culture criticizes were usually embraced by the majority of the culture previously. So why do we think that our current trends will fair any differently when judged by history? This might come as a startling offense to the cultural masses, but God is not tracking with our bizarre directions to determine a new line of thinking or an altered course of action.

God is not a pollster. God is supremely wise.

The Wisdom of God

Studying the attributes of God, it is critical to address the issue of God’s wisdom. Can God be trusted to make the right decisions? Are God’s thoughts always the best thoughts? Does he need to align himself with us or do we need to align ourselves with him? God’s wisdom is different than his omniscience. God’s omniscience teaches that he knows all things; God’s wisdom teaches that he knows all the wise things to do.

As believers, it is growing increasingly difficult to defend the wisdom of God through our beliefs and display the wisdom of God through our behaviors. To follow the wisdom of God means that you will be swimming against society’s current. In our culture, even churches feel the growing temptation to listen to the popular leanings of the day to determine their positions and adapt their practices regarding current issues. The wisdom of God balks at any stance limited by time and culture. If a concept only has a temporal shelf life, it cannot be categorized as truth. Only God can determine, define, and demand enduring wisdom.

The wisdom of God means that only God knows how to come to the best destination by the best path at the best time.

Since we call others wise, it seems a tad too simple to categorize God into the same assemblage. His infinite wisdom compared to our limited intelligence is more than the separation of advanced calculus to simple arithmetic. His wisdom infinitely transcends the very concept of knowledge. God is not merely wise; he is supremely wise. He is unable to make the imperfect call. God’s decisions have never been unwise. To God alone belong wisdom and might (Dan. 2:20). Therefore, if any person can claim any level of keen sense, it must originate from God. Every wise person must discover their bearings by the totality of God’s wisdom.

God’s wisdom is unlimited in its scope. The wisest human beings can master specific disciplines, yet they each experience some degree of limitation. God has no constraint on the amount or the category of his wisdom. You wouldn’t give a pastor with a doctorate in theology the permission to perform open-heart surgery. While the degree is impressive, it does not apply to the situation at hand.