silentreader wrote:MaxPC wrote:Was discussing James 1 with a friend and what a rich chapter on discipleship it is. It speaks of the double-minded man:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7, 8 For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
In addition to doubt, what are some other ways a man can be double-minded?
Perhaps another important question; What is the wisdom that is to be asked for and received, is it general or for a specific need?
I like bringing this back to James 1. If we want to talk about the same thing James means by double minded, he uses the phrase only here, and that's the best place to look for it. Many translations put a title like "testing of your faith" on this passage, it starts like this:
Testing of Your Faith
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
So I think the context is trials of various kinds, and the passage mentions several. It talks about testing of faith that produces steadfastness - the opposite of being unstable or double minded. And it tells us where to look for that stability.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
I think it would be a mistake to read this and assume that it is only meant for some other group of Christians that doesn't have the wisdom we have. When we face trials of many kinds, we desperately need wisdom, and our own wisdom is not enough. Our wisdom and our stability are based in God, who gives generously to all without reproach. If we doubt that God will do that, we have no stability, we are tossed back and forth by whatever hits us.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
Writing to those who face trials of many kinds, James is saying that lowliness is not to be feared and wealth is not our source of stability or boasting. Wealth fades away like grass in the heat. The things that the world puts its trust in are not our wisdom or security. If we pray to God for wisdom, we can trust that he will grant that prayer, but there is not a similar promise if we pray to God for riches or exaltation.
We can't have it both ways. We can't put our trust in God and also in riches and our own exaltation.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
This passage seems to refer to both testing (in the sense of persecution) and temptation (by our own desire). And it tells us that each of us have desires that tempt us. We need to own that, not blame God for it. And we need to stand steadfast against the temptations of our own desires.
Part of that is understanding the process - temptation is not sin, but it lures us and entices us, and if we nurse it along and give it a place to grow inside us, it conceives and gives birth to sin. We need to avoid feeding our temptation, flirting with it, giving it a chance to take root in us. At the same time, I think it's healthy not to feel guilty just for feeling tempted.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
If we don't want to be double-minded, we need to be single-minded, focusing on the Father of lights. If don't want to be unstable, we need to focus on the one with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Our temptations, our desires for wealth or exaltation, and our doubts can get in the way of that. Every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father who is always watching out for us.
Double-mindedness looks at the waves and the temptations and the humiliation and worries that we might not be able to trust God to give us the wisdom that we need. And let's face it, every one of us can be double minded at times, we need to call each other on to single-minded trust in God.