An Illustration of the Double-minded Christian

Double-Minded (link)

I want to make a comparison between Abraham’s decision to have a son in his own strength and Christians who use their own strength to accomplish God’s work.

God told Abraham that he would give him a son in his old age. Gen 15:4-6

-A Christian believes God wants them to go on a mission trip, build a church, start a project.

After God made this proclamation to Abraham, God was silent.

-A Christian “hears” from God, and then He is silent.

Abraham began to waiver in his belief and sought ways to fulfill God’s promise on his own.

-Christians do the same. We start to panic when we don’t see God fulfill what we think is His will. This often happens when we talk to others about things we believe God is doing. We don’t see God move, we need to save face so we plan how we are going to fulfill God’s “project”.

Abraham and his wife, questioning God, begin to plan ways to make God’s proclamation a reality. As a result, Abraham took Sarah’s maidservant and she bore a son, Ishmael. Gen 16:2-3

It is important to note that Hagar the maidservant was an Egyptian. In the Old Testament, Egypt was a type of the world, those opposed to God’s people and God’s plans.

-Christians question God and begin to make plans to fulfill His will. They take on the practices of the world to complete God’s work. They will take out bank loans to build a church, send out “prayer letters” to seek support for their mission trip, or pressure believers in “financing” their endeavor, forgetting that the God who calls them, will fulfill it in His power.

Abraham’s decision resulted in division in his household and raised a people who were a thorn in the side of his son, Isaac and his descendants. Gen 16:12

-Christians who pursue God’s work through efforts of the flesh will reap similar results, division in the house of God, a thorn in the sides of believers, shame in the eyes of the world.

We miss God’s blessing.

We practice iniquity.

In what ways are you seeking God’s will in your own strength?

The Double-Minded Man

But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:6-8

When you ask, do it in what you are persuaded, not going back and forth in your convictions. James compares this double minded conduct with the ocean's waves which are driven and moved by an outside force. Otherwise, don't expect anything, because you have two different thought processes.

Recently, I had been praying for someone to have a mind change concerning something they were doing. One way that I have been double-minded in my thinking is that when I finish praying, I tend to think, "Well, if God doesn't answer within a certain time, then I will talk to the person about my desire for their change".

This type thinking puts me in the category of the 'double-minded' man. I ask God, believing He can do it, and then get off my knees and think, "how can I accomplish this".

"…unstable in all his ways"

The instability then moves to other areas of my life, my job, relationships, etc. I tend to ask God for something, believing Him to accomplish His will and then I try to manipulate the circumstances or grumble if it didn't go the way I wanted.

The double-minded man, who is unstable in his thinking and conduct, who wishes to change, needs only look to James 4:8 where he says, "purify your hearts minds you double-minded". This indicates that the one who has these "double-minded" behaviors need only meditate on the Word. This is the process of "purifying the heart".

James says, "but let him ask in faith...". Doubting leads to double-mindedness. Faith is the opposite of doubting. We know that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God". So as we build our faith through the Word, it opposes and dispels doubting and double-minded thoughts and conduct.