What is the distinction between worldly and godly sorrow?

Carlton McLeod explains in this video that worldly sorrow is primarily concerned about the consequences of sin, getting caught, or the loss that results. Worldly sorrow is selfish in that it is only concerned about how sin makes you feel. Worldly sorrow is deceiving. We can easily think that another person is demonstrating godly repentance when in fact, they are only putting on a show.

We can look at the Parable of the Sower and see how worldly sorrow led to a falling away but how godly sorrow and repentance led to bearing much fruit. Holy sorrow is focused on God and causes a person to grieve that they have offended a holy God.

James 3:16 (NKJV) – “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.” 

I think the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow, simply put, is worldly sorrow is more concerned with consequences, more concerned with getting caught, more concerned with the loss similar to the parable of the soils where there was worldly sorrow in three of the cases but yet the good ground hearer was the one that had godly sorrow. Worldly sorrow comes and goes. Worldly sorrow is so connected to literally what's going on in the world. Godly sorrow is literally towards God. It's to recognize that against Him and Him only have I sinned.

And so, and it can be quite deceiving too because we can, if we're not careful, we can assure someone of salvation because they exhibited worldly sorrow, they cried a little bit, But it might take a little longer to figure out whether or not it was godly sorrow. And so the difference ultimately is worldly sorrow is about what's happening in the world about one's status or the loss thereof about losing influence or losing money or having physical pain or emotional pain. Godly sorrow says, oh my goodness, I have sinned against a holy God. And I'm utterly dependent on His grace and His mercy for my forgiveness. And although it may not be evident right away, it will be evident over time.