James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”
We always want clear sense of direction when making major decisions. There are times we seek advice in situations to help us make better judgments. From my experience, it’s very dangerous to make hasty decision without weighing things. People can advise and give guidance, making decision is your responsibility.
With that in mind, let us come to the standard set for us in heaven to live by. James 4:8, “Draw nigh unto God, and He will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts, ye double minded”. Sin soils our hearts and minds that we become easily desensitized to what is clear and required of God. With that, anything we do, we do it either ignorantly or we just don’t care. We can be pulled by things that are enticing with a promise to give fulfillment and happiness only to find out later they are traps. One side of you pulls you to what is right, the other side pulls you to something that looks right. You are set in the middle trying to make a wise decision as to what path to take. It’s either black or white, no shades of gray in the middle; it’s either right or wrong can’t accept both at the same time and a choice has to be made. I’m amazed that some can have a foot in the church and have another in the world, they worship today tomorrow you see them doing something else, James tells us something interesting, he says that for you to be single minded, you need to draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you. As you draw nigh to God, God begins to cause you to see things clearly where you have to make a choice of cleansing your hands and purifying your heart. You will not know what is right until you have encountered with the truth. John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”. It’s not just a matter of knowing the truth, many already do, it’s a matter of knowing the truth, walking it, living it, exercising it. It has a way of making you a single minded person.
John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life, no man cometh to the Father, but by me”. We can see Jesus singling Himself out by calling Himself THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. If He had used the word “A” instead of “THE”, then He would be another option but when He said “HE IS”, this teaches us that the only way we can have a single mind is by trusting in Jesus alone for salvation, guidance, protection, provision and every other thing that we need. A double minded person will try and have other options, like trust in God today but also have connections to psychic, or trust in God and have his faith on the lottery ticket in his hands. It’s hard for such to focus, direction, purpose, vision, and conviction because he has the ability of changing his mind anytime. Psalm 118:8, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put your confidence in man”, He says, “Choose ye this day whom you will serve“, “Behold I have set before you curses and blessings, choose wisely“. A single minded person will choose wisely without feeling pressured into something that he knows is not acceptable.
James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his was”. I could say “Double” is to apply equality in the things that come in one’s way and now he or she is set to battle which way to go. The verse concludes by saying that such a person is unstable in all his ways simply because they will be tossed around by everything that comes their way. They will believe any doctrine that comes their way, they will always be convinced by others to take a different direction.
Isaiah 26:3, “Thou shall keep him in perfect peace whose mind stays on thee”, let’s keep our minds stay (dwell) on Him, Romans 12:2, “And be ye not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove that which is good acceptable, and perfect will of God”. The patterns and life style in this world would cause your mind and mine to wander and that is why the bible says not to be conformed by it. We want our minds be transformed and renewed that we may prove (test) what is good not what we perceive to be good. Jesus had a single mind and Paul encourages us in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”
See how the mind plays one of the major roles in a human life, the devil attacks the mind and so the Lord deals with the heart first because if He can get to the heart, the heart will transform the entire body including the mind. All defeat, pride, lust, deceptions begin in the mind so we need to guard the mind at all cost to think on what is acceptable will of God in Christ Jesus. Let’s have single minds which comes from looking unto Jesus the Author and the Finisher of our faith. Have the mind of Christ, a sound mind and uncorrupted. Blessings Ev
Related articles
- Following Jesus, On His Terms, Pastor Boaz Olang (magnifyhisword.wordpress.com)
- Prefer His Ways, Evans Olang (magnifyhisword.wordpress.com)
He Has Magnified His Word 