Double-mindedness and Doubt
To continue our look at double-mindedness, we will continue in the book of James. In the opening chapter, we come across the concept in a very familiar passage.
James 1:5 (TNIV)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously withough finding fault, and it will be given to you."
We love this verse... or maybe we love to encourage others with it even if we find it hard to put into practice ourselves! It's an amazing promise - wisdom given to those who ask for it, to those who need it. And how we need this insight in so many of our life situations! The passage goes on:
James 1:6-8
"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; they are double-minded and unstable in all they do."
Did you see it? The person who doubts when they are asking God for wisdom is double-minded (and unstable). And really that's pretty basic: if you ask but doubt that God will answer, you are double-minded because you both believe and doubt. You "are thinking two different things at the same time" (James 1:8 NCV). But it is also very challenging. Doubt comes in easily and many of us find it difficult to exercise such confident faith in God and His Word.
So maybe here is a place to start as we seek to refrain from being double-minded - working on our doubts. What do we doubt - about God? the Bible? Christianity? Maybe we should start one step back and ask if we are aware we have any doubts. A simple way to do this is to note when you are double-minded. In what situations are you someone who "can't make up their minds.
They waver back and forth in everything they do." (James 1:8 NLT)? As you pursue these questions, you may uncover some of your doubts.
Then you can dig a little deeper: What are my doubts based on? Are they an uncertainty about what I believe or more of an attempt to keep my options open (as The Message translated James 1:8)? What steps do we need to take to deal with them? Would it be helpful to talk with someone else about them?
Admitting our doubts and working through them may be a significant step toward single-mindedness. And don't be surprised if while you are doing this you may have to put into practice James 1:5 along the way!
James 1:5 (TNIV)
"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously withough finding fault, and it will be given to you."
We love this verse... or maybe we love to encourage others with it even if we find it hard to put into practice ourselves! It's an amazing promise - wisdom given to those who ask for it, to those who need it. And how we need this insight in so many of our life situations! The passage goes on:
James 1:6-8
"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like the wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; they are double-minded and unstable in all they do."
Did you see it? The person who doubts when they are asking God for wisdom is double-minded (and unstable). And really that's pretty basic: if you ask but doubt that God will answer, you are double-minded because you both believe and doubt. You "are thinking two different things at the same time" (James 1:8 NCV). But it is also very challenging. Doubt comes in easily and many of us find it difficult to exercise such confident faith in God and His Word.
So maybe here is a place to start as we seek to refrain from being double-minded - working on our doubts. What do we doubt - about God? the Bible? Christianity? Maybe we should start one step back and ask if we are aware we have any doubts. A simple way to do this is to note when you are double-minded. In what situations are you someone who "can't make up their minds.
They waver back and forth in everything they do." (James 1:8 NLT)? As you pursue these questions, you may uncover some of your doubts.
Then you can dig a little deeper: What are my doubts based on? Are they an uncertainty about what I believe or more of an attempt to keep my options open (as The Message translated James 1:8)? What steps do we need to take to deal with them? Would it be helpful to talk with someone else about them?
Admitting our doubts and working through them may be a significant step toward single-mindedness. And don't be surprised if while you are doing this you may have to put into practice James 1:5 along the way!
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