The Double Minded

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Scripture Text: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” – James 1:8 KJV                            

There is a term used by the Harvard Business School – “Cognitive dissonance”, Cognitive dissonance means discordant, it is usually used to describe sounds that don’t belong together. 

So, they clash, in the Biblical perspective, Cognitive dissonance means, “double-minded”,

The Bible is crystal clear about what any double-minded person should expect –Nothing! “That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do” –James 1:7 NIV. 

When it comes to money, being double-minded means that on the outside, you say you want wealth, but on the inside, you believe you can’t have it. 

Outside you set goals and have Vision but on the inside, you do not believe you can achieve them. This is not the God kind of Faith the Bible is showing or teaching us to have as children of God. 

Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, go, throw yourself into the sea, and ‘does not doubt in their heart” –Mark 11:23 NIV. 

Take note of the word, ‘does not doubt’, Jesus is simply telling us to ask anything without allowing any form of doubt. 

And James in our anchor scripture is saying that you are unstable in everything you do, when you are always double-minded, you are playing double sides, your attention and focus have no direction and place, 

you simply have not decided yet, probably you are just playing indifferently.

This attitude affects every part of your life, it will affect your relationship and your health, you might be a woman married to a wonderful man, but your core values will cause you to believe that men do not deserve respect and do not have worth, or perhaps you need something from God, but deep down within you there is doubt.  

The Bible says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” –Prov.4:23 NIV. 

To be wealthy, you have to see wealth and think wealth, to be healed, you must imagine, think and see health before even speaking it, your heart must agree with your expression, they have to speak the same language, 

Rom.10:10 says, “For it is with your heart that you believe and justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”, 

So, you can now see or understand, that to truly see whatever you believe God to do in your life to become reality, your belief, thought and imagination must agree with your words, there must not be disparity.

It is an inside-to-outside process, your heart should not be playing a different tone, while your mouth is singing a different song, there must be agreement, God searches the heart, not the mouth, 

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind” –Jer. 17:9 NIV. 

Wealth is not in the external, but wealth is in the internal, inside the man’s heart”. There are two types of thinking:

Thinking about the external: This is thinking about the things happening around you.

Thinking about the internal: This is thinking that is focused on your actual belief.

The type of thinking that you allow to dominate you will go very far to determine your level of success, “for as he thinketh in his heart so is he” –Prov.23:7 KJV. 

To overcome doubt, you need to stop looking around you, “for we walk by faith, not by sight”- 2 Cor. 5:7 KJV.

 We have to walk by faith and see only what God has said to us, and we have to believe Him, and that should be our profession 

So we should guard our heart with what Jesus has said to us- The Word, not the external world, Jesus Christ is our example when it comes to faith without looking back in doubt. 

He did not give room to doubt, even when He was troubled nor when the Father turned His back on Him. 

Externals say, “It isn’t possible” but the internal says, “Nothing is impossible with God” so, let your emotion reflect always what you believe God for.

Your word, attitude, and countenance should reflect only your dependence on the promises of God and His finished work no doubt, and you will definitely receive all that you have asked in prayer.

This is a result of the stable state within and outside of you. Our anchor scripture says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”-James 1:8 KJV. 

Today by the revelation of God’s word, receive stability in your prayer life in Jesus' name!

PRAYER KEY POINTS

Father, IJN: Thank you Lord for daily impact and revelation by your word. Worship him in praise.

Father, IJN: I receive grace for unwavering faith in God and his promises for me.

Father, IJN: I silence every spirit of doubt, anxiety, and fear that is out to rob me of my place in destiny.

Father, IJN: By the blood of Jesus I decree that I have a renewed and transformed mind according to the word of God.

COMMIT TO MEMORY

 "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it".-Hebrews 4:2 (KJV) 

FURTHER READING

Matt.23:25-28, Lk. 11:39-40, Rev. 3:15-18

QUOTE

Where there is a will there is a way.             

ASSIGNMENT

Resolve to work on your inner being, because your heart rules your world. Think more about the word of God, have a positive sight of things, and believe in God. Finally, read and meditate on the further reading.