… he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. — James 1:8
There is a spiritual side to us — or sometimes a religious side to us — that is happy to go to church, to read the Bible, to sing hymns, to hang out with God and His people. Then there is another side — or sides — that would rather be doing something different — something very different.
So what is the cure for double-mindedness?
Years ago, I would have said that we should feed our spiritual selves (substitute the word "religious" for "spiritual"), and starve everything else. I no longer believe that. It is the parts of our hearts that are most antagonistic toward God, most apathetic about following God that need God the most. Those parts of us don’t go away because we become more religious.
This was the mistake of the Pharisees. They focused on their religious persona and ignored the monster within. Well, folks, we can’t ignore the monster within. Lofty sounding prayers seem very spiritual, but God would rather have our whole heart.
The cure for double-mindedness is straightforward Keep bringing the junk in our hearts to God so that He can bring renewal to all parts of our minds. Sometimes that means getting raw and real with God about where we are really at. But if we have two minds — or ten — they all need to be connected to Jesus, because He alone can make the broken pieces whole.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.