The Double-Minded Man
Some years ago, I had an experience that taught me a lesson about the consequence of double-mindedness. At the entrance of an establishment I visited, there was a donation box for a cause I am passionate about. I wanted to donate to the cause, but this was an unplanned expense. I was not sure I had enough cash on me for other activities of the day. While contemplating, I took out some money from my wallet, but I struggled in my heart and questioned if I was making the right decision. It was a debate in my mind. Finally, I chose to donate at a later date when I budget for it. While going through my expenses at the end of the day’s activities, I discovered I could not account for the money I contemplated donating. It dawned on me that I did not put the money back into my wallet after changing my mind to donate at a later date. In my double-mindedness, the money did not go back into my wallet, neither did it go into the donation. I lost the money.
James 1:5-8,NIV; If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (Emphasis added).
Apostle James uses the term “double-minded” to pass a message that everyone could easily understand. A double-minded person is uncertain in his thoughts, can easily be swayed, confused, always in conflict with himself, two-faced and tends to agree with every side on germane issues. It is safe to assume that no one wants anything important to do with someone with the aforementioned attributes. Whether in business, marriage or friendship, no one wants to work with a double-minded person. To get things done, you need to trust people, and you cannot trust someone who is two-faced.
In our fellowship and walk with God, we are to trust and believe God. When we pray and make a request to God, we are to believe and be unwavering in our trust in God to answer. Believing in God is not only about the outcome of your prayers; it reveals your conviction and the posture of your heart towards God. The content of our prayers can tell where we stand in our trust in God. You cannot trust God with all your heart and then trust in something else. You cannot do both. If you are doing both, then you are not trusting God; you are double-minded.
I prefer it when people take the incorrect stance or believe the wrong thing rather than believing in everything and being on everyone’s side. It is easier to deal with people when you know where they stand because if you can win them over, you are sure they will be loyal to their new position. However, someone who stands for everything is neither here nor there. It reminds me of John’s letter to the Church in Laodicea. They were neither hot nor cold; they were lukewarm. The consequence of being lukewarm is that God will spew you out of His mouth (Revelations 3:15-16).
An example of someone who became double-minded is John the Baptist. Jesus described John the Baptist as a man greater than prophets before him. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the messiah. He said to the people, “He Who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of Whose sandals I am not fit to unfasten. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). However, when he found himself in prison, he was double-minded about the person of Jesus and asked his disciples to investigate the authenticity of Jesus (Luke 7:19-20). The devil is always out to exploit every situation in our lives to make us doubt God (see When You Forget What God Said). Despite John’s convictions and greatness as affirmed by Jesus, there was still an attack on his mind. John was susceptible to double-mindedness. This tells us that regardless of where we are in our walk with God, we can fall into a state of doubt and unbelief if we do not take heed.
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12,NKJV
The life of a believer is a life that should be alert at all times and ready to guard against the fiery darts of the devil. The devil is out to pull and keep us down. Taking heed against falling means that your confidence is not in yourself but in God.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:8,NIV
In James 4:8, we are instructed to purify our hearts if we have divided loyalties. You cannot have a relationship with God and still hold on to a relationship with sin. You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Some of us struggle with sinful habits that we never let go of; it is living a double life. Being double-minded starts from the heart and grows into every area of our lives. It begins with the kind of desires we pursue and the kind of things we give attention to. With the truth of the word of God as our foundation, it is our responsibility to fight off worldly affections consistently and cling to heavenly truths and realities. Apart from fighting off worldly attachments, we have to stand up to worldly ideologies. Ideologies that challenge everything you believe about the word of God will always spring up. If we do not make Christ the centre of our thoughts and actions, we will find ourselves jumping on ideologies that cannot stand the test of God’s word.
A single-minded attention to God’s word, will and purpose is an antidote to the poisonous allure of double-mindedness.
Your Christianity and position on pertinent issues in the world today will be tried and tested. The question you should ask yourself is, “can God depend on me at such times?”. No true believer sets out to be double-minded, but our choices and pursuits eventually lead to a state where our walk with God is questioned and undefined. Just as I lost my money because I was double-minded and could not make a quick decision, we eventually lose what we have in our walk with God when we are double-minded. We lose our peace, joy, confidence, and territories we conquered. The best approach to guard against the temptation to be double-minded is by drawing near to God and purifying your heart with the word of God. The comforting promise in James 4:8 is that when we draw near God, He will draw near us; what a promise!
The words of Jesus in Luke 9 is a reminder that we should prioritise our fellowship and walk with God
Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62,NLT
Jesus likened following Him to a farmer who uses a plough to till the ground. This farmer would need strength, a steady hand, focus and commitment. When ploughing farmland, you have to look straight ahead. You cannot look back and make straight furrows. You have to be focused and committed to the task until the end. In other words, you cannot be double-minded. As followers of Christ, commitment is a necessity. We have to stay committed to the gospel we have received and believed. Doubt should have no place in our hearts. We cannot afford to coddle sin, and we cannot feed worldly desires. Our priority is to set our hearts on the things above. We must assimilate God’s words until they become part of us. A single-minded attention to God’s word, will and purpose is an antidote to the poisonous allure of double-mindedness.
Prayer : Father Lord, help us stay faithful to the gospel we have received and give us the strength to take a firm stand in you whenever our faith is tried and tested. Amen.
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