James 1:8 -- On Faith and Commitment

"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
James 1:8


I think that our double-mindedness in life is a little about uncertainty, and a lot about commitment. If we aren't sure about things, then we can go to God for answers. Not overnight ones typically, but he is willing to teach us his ways if we are willing to open our hearts and learn. Too often though I think we get stuck in the uncertainty area and we don't exercise any faith, assuming that we don't need to do anything and have no responsibility or obligation to the Lord unless he throws a lightning bolt, literally or figuratively, and proves that he is who he says he is. ... But it doesn't work that way. We can't give God deadlines or ultimatums. He will help us, but he is immune to our petty manipulations.

Our relationship with God is just like our relationship to other people or to a job opportunity perhaps. We aren't always certain that this job is the 100% best job for us out of all the jobs in the universe, but we still have to make a commitment if we are going to start earning money. ... And we might not know that this friend is going to be our best friend forever, but if we don't commit to being people's friends, then we just won't have any. Developing a testimony is a process, but we can't balance on a tightrope where we say, well, if God does this or that for us, then we'll believe, or stay in the church, but if not, then not. It will never be about God conforming to us. It is always about us conforming to God, who is the master of all creation and the source of everything good, and when we try to embrace heaven but take all our little souvenirs from hell with us, we're inherently unstable, as the verse explains.

Today, let's let go of our double-mindedness and commit to the Lord. That commitment and acceptance (often expressed through baptism, but also varies depending on when we are figuring out our faith) is the *beginning* of our journey with God, just like marriage is the beginning of a journey and not the end goal. If we never make a commitment to God, then we are never going to find all the rest of the wonder that awaits us on the path. Let's take the step and find out where faith will take us.