Single-minded

I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain. All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross, therefore I love your testimonies. My flesh trembles for fear of you, and I am afraid of your judgments. (Psalm 119:113–120)

This reading is much like yesterday, and therefore God must be telling me to give it more attention! The first thing I notice is that double-minded warning. Biblically, and in personal experience as a Christian, this is about wavering between my way and God's way. He wants a certain way of thinking and behaving, but I want another.

Most of this is invisible to others. For instance, I can tell a story or say words that seem to be uplifting, but in my heart, I’m doing it to show off how much I know. Or I can do a kindness with my teeth gritted because I’d rather be nasty. In other words, not being double-minded is having the godly reaction to people without even thinking of my self-centered one. It is hidden in Him, shielded by His Word and His love.

Doing the right thing is not because I am terrified by what will happen or what God with do to me if I do the wrong thing. It is more like being so in awe of the goodness of God that I do not want to do anything that God has judged harmful for me and for others.

For example, in wanting to be like Jesus, He has shown me how it feels when I tell someone about a struggle in my life and they immediately tell me of their struggles — not to empathize, but as if their problem is worse or more important. Motive is easy to discern. I’ve done it too. Because of ‘been there, done that’ I realize that it can hurt a deeply troubled person when I turn the conversation from their problem to ‘poor me’ and dismiss caring for them. Double-minded stunts like that do not gain God's approval.

Jesus, keep me from being like the things I hate. May your law of loving You and others be the place to not just hide or shield me, but where Your attitudes reign. I know that being in Your Word is a vital part of having Your attitudes and actions come out of my life in a spontaneous way and with honestly and without thought about myself — because You are the focus of my life, not me.