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 honest y and without thought about myself — because You are the focus of my life, not me.

Keep me single-minded…

Saul recognized David’s voice and said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” And he said, “Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What evil is on my hands? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the Lord, for the king of Israel has come out to seek a single flea like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains.” 
Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Behold, I have acted foolishly, and have made a great mistake.” 
And David answered and said, “Here is the spear, O king! Let one of the young men come over and take it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.” 
Then Saul said to David, “Blessed be you, my son David! You will do many things and will succeed in them.” 
So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place. (1 Samuel 26:17–25)

The NT speaks of a double-minded man who cannot rest in assurance of God’s care. Saul is an example. Once again he is asleep and David comes close enough to kill him, but does not. Instead he scolds Abner for not protecting his king as he should. Thin he has the same conversation as before and Saul responds with the same confession.

Lest I harshly judge Saul, I must remind myself of the many times I’ve repeated a sin and said, “Oh no! I’ve done it again.” Peter did it too. He vowed to never betray Jesus, but he did. It is this powerlessness over sin that brought Jesus to earth to die for us.

Lord, how I need to keep my heart and mind on You. Life is busy and the demands out of mere everyday responsibilities take more energy than I have. Grant me what is needed to obey all that You ask.

 

Scattered? Or Double-minded?

 

READ James

According to medical doctor and author Gabor Mate, attention-deficit disorder or ADD is a result of a young child experiencing an inconsistent or total lack of bonding with a parent through eye-contact. His book “Scattered Minds” is chock-full of liberating thoughts for people like me who are constantly distracted.

Without going into his ideas in great detail, I was struck by a new thought this morning. For years, I’ve blamed my inability to stay focused on ADD, but James says it could be from a different reason, or at least have a different name.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:2–8)

Double-minded. Normally I would consider this to mean waffling between what God wants and what I want, but the various trials of the past few months have shown me that it is more like waffling between lack of faith and trusting the Lord.

Example: Someone I care about has been listening to a false teacher and sending me some of his lies. This has been distressing. I prayed for days about it, asking God to deal with the false teacher and get this dear Christian back on track. I could hardly think of anything else but my prayers did not give any assurance or comfort. Finally, while cleaning a file on my desk, I found a piece of paper with writing about how lack of faith denies the Cross and the power of God. These truths lifted my burden and instantly relief flooded my heart. I realized I was praying but not trusting God to take care of this other child of His, not believing His capacity to take care of His own even though I was saying the right words. The sudden change made me realize that I was in a spiritual battle and had been delivered by truth from the Holy Spirit, but also was not being steadfast in faith.

James says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (1:12) My steadfastness was missing because of an instability in faith, a double-mindedness that pit confliction between: “all is lost” against “God can do it.”

I’ve learned a bit about dealing with lack of focus. One thing is to just do what God says, whether I feel like it or not. James writes: “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (1:25)

James also is well known for his teaching on works, pointing out that faith is demonstrated by acting on what we claim to believe. He cites how “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God, proving his faith by offering Isaac as God commanded. (2:18–23)

James lists some traits of double-mindedness, things I see in myself, like being partial to certain people even though all are “made in the likeness of God” and being proud or judgmental rather than humble and merciful. While everyone struggles with the battle between the flesh and the Spirit, I bounce around way too much between faith and doubt — and am without that steadfastness that God wants to produce in me.

James offers solutions. One is obedience. Another is keeping short accounts. A third is being accountable.

He gives more grace . . . . God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded . . . . Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power . . . . (4:6–8: 5:16)

ADD is a genuine condition. It may produce an unsettle mind that is not certain of parental love, an uncertainty easily passed to my Heavenly Father. However, the Word of God says lack of focus and double-mindedness could be a failure to recognize and confess lack of faith that never wavers in trusting the power of God and the truth of the Gospel. One thing is certain, I’m asking the Lord to help me stop using ADD as an excuse for letting my mind wander away from Him.