Unstable?

James 1:5-7 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.

These verses are a strong warning about wavering in our faith, when we come to God. 

One definition of double-minded is “marked by hypocrisy.” Hypocrisy is one of the biggest deterrents to anyone coming to Christ, when they see Christians, who claim to know God, talk about how Great God is, urge others to surrender to Him, and yet live a life marked by huge ups and downs in their own walk.  

All of us doubt at times, but it’s what we do with those doubts that counts.  

When we need wisdom during trials (as mentioned in prior verses), we can boldly ask God for help and expect him to give us what we need.  I love the phrase, “who gives generously to all without finding fault.”

That is the key.  When we come to God feeling ashamed, rejected, and downcast because we are going through difficult times, it’s then that we begin to doubt God’s love for us, as we are sure he is mad or upset with us.

God loves us.  We are his children.  And nothing comes into our lives that he cannot turn around and make something beautiful out of it. We must believe in his goodness, his character, and his power.

Otherwise, the ups and downs of our wavering faith will make us seasick and cause us to experience a less than exciting journey with Him…to say the least...