I have found that the things we do to ourselves are so much more harmful than those done by others to us. Being double-minded is a way that we work against ourselves as we endeavor to work on behalf of ourselves. Double-mindedness is a malady we bring upon ourselves. Focusing on God’s truth and renewing our minds is a surefire cure and preventive measure for double-mindedness.

Are you ailing?

Have you found yourself on a path and wondered, is this leading to God’s best for me? How often have you made a decision and then thought, where is this leading, this is not at all what I expected?

More times than I care to admit I have been in that kind of a situation. I thought I was making the best choice, then an all too familiar sense of uncertainty rushed over me. The feeling that I must not have heard correctly. Maybe I was not responding to God’s direction. Was that God, or me I responded to? What happened to my prayers about being elevated to another situation?

Over the decades of my odyssey these feelings come and go…double-mindedness. At first, I had faith then I was in fear, almost simultaneously, double-mindedness. Certain and uncertain, wondering what would happen next. Not clear whether I had followed or opposed the will of God.

The B.I.B.L.E.

As I saw this process unfolding, yet again, knowing that there was a lesson, (and probably an accompanying assessment of my learning) I decided to go to the answer book. The B.I.B.L.E. The Book Illuminating Basic Life Experiences.

The book written by the inspiration of God, contains information about the experiences common to all, in our relationships with Him, ourselves, and one-to-another. As we have those interpersonal and inner personal experiences we have the benefit of His loving counsel. We examine how others have made choices and the outcomes they experienced.

The book sheds His light on the past, present, and future. It is a valuable text as we move through this life that He has bestowed upon us. To seek the Maker’s Manual the B.I.B.L.E. is to seek illumination, as we traverse the obstacles of this dark world. We see His plan, as it was, is and will be for us.

I knew that our loving Father had provided light for me about double-mindedness. There are two places in the scriptures with direct reference to the word “double minded”. Both penned by James in the New Testament.

The first in James 1:8 states, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (KJV)

In retrospect I agree I was unstable when I had those feelings of full speed ahead and stop I want to wait, both at the same time. Like being on a child’s seesaw, moving but staying in the same place. One must take a new position before one is able to dismount, and if there too long it is possible to become dizzy and have an unstable gate when trying to walk after being on the seesaw.

Dear Jairus

I was further prompted to examine an incident chronicled by Luke beginning in chapter eight verse 40 in the book of Luke. Here through verse 56 two stories unfold. One is that of the woman with the issue of blood. This woman had suffered for 12 years with a debilitating hemorrhaging for what must have seemed a lifetime. She exhausted money and visits to doctors, uncured.  She was physically weak.

Because women with issues of blood were considered “unclean” during that time, she was unable to attend public gatherings like church. She was not able to be intimate with her husband. She probably did not feel clean herself.

Yet she had heard that Jesus was nearby and she walked to the area where the crowd had gathered to hear Him. She crawled through the crowd and touched the hem of His garment. She had faith that touching even the clothing that He wore would cause her to be healed. Her faith proved to be the catalyst for her to be instantly healed.

Before she left the scene she was asked what happened to her. She was able to recount her healing to the mass of people present. Her relief and comfort must have been stunning!

While this expression of faith by the woman is certainly spectacular there is another story unfolding alongside it.

Before the woman touched the garment of Jesus He was being spoken to by a man named Jairus, who was the longtime director of a synagogue. He had fallen at the feet of Jesus to beg Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a twelve-year-old was dying. Jesus had begun to make His way through the crowd of people when the woman touched Him.

As Jesus was speaking to the woman about her faith making her whole, a messenger made his way through the crowd informing Jairus it was too late, his daughter had died. Jesus heard the message and responded, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” (KJV)

Jesus proceeded with the father and the mother of the child, some of the disciples and others followed. When they arrived at the home those in attendance cried and grieved at the loss of the child. Double-mindedness.

The trusting parents had traveled to see Jesus. They witnessed the miraculous healing of the woman that had suffered (for as many years as their child had lived), with the issue of blood, and yet did not believe that the same Jesus, the Christ could bring their daughter back to life–double-mindedness.

How often do we disregard God’s truth right before our eyes only to believe lies and find ourselves in double-mindedness? How often do we miss God’s grace by turning our back on Him as we turn toward our fleshly understanding?

The Remedy

The second time the word double-minded is used in the Bible appears in James 4:8, where we are told, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (KJV)

Therefor the remedy or preventative action we can take against double-mindedness is spelled out, loudly and clearly in the B-I-B-L-E.

I am still working on the assessment. My prayer is that I will move beyond this lesson having earned an outstanding outcome. The reality is while I move closer to perfection, I am certainly not there yet.

Please share your course notes. Class is in session for you too. How are you progressing?

Take Inventory and Take Action!

Love,

Deborah

“Lighting the path to loving your neighbor as yourself.”