[For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. – James 1:8, AMP

It was Jesus Himself who said that a house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25). The same is true of the double-minded person in James 1:8. Such a person cannot decide which of two paths to take, and until one path is chosen, neither path can be followed. So, frozen by the conundrum created by his or her own indecisiveness, the double-minded person goes absolutely nowhere.

The message of James 1:8 takes on an even deeper meaning when you consider its context. In verses 5-7, God (through James) admonishes us to ask Him for wisdom and promises us that He will grant our request so long as we ask without doubt or hesitation.  What would cause us to hesitate in asking God for wisdom or doubt God’s ability to provide it? A double-mindedness about whose wisdom is better, ours or God’s.

With each important decision we make we are essentially choosing whether to trust in and rely on God’s way or to trust in and rely on our way.  We Christians often acknowledge with our minds and with our mouths that God’s way is best, but when it is time to act we trust in our own wisdom and strengths. We are divided; we are double-minded about who to trust, and James 1:8 teaches us that until we are willing to place our faith 100% on Christ and 0% on ourselves, our prayers for wisdom will be answered with confusion.

Confused about a specific issue in life?  Then check yourself to see if you are asking for God’s guidance while at the same time plotting your own schemes. Until you abandon your wisdom for God’s, the confusion will remain.

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