A SHIP WITHOUT AN ANCHOR is tossed to and fro until it finally suffers irreparable damage. You might be OK when seas are calm, but what will you do when the storm comes? This is the double-minded man, wavering between faith and doubt, tormented by fear, listening to every voice that whispers in their ear, believing every wind of doctrine and cannot distinguish between a sheep, goat, or wolf; constantly fluctuating; unstable.
“He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:8
Being without the true wisdom, he disagrees both with himself and others; and will be perpetually running into inconsistencies of conduct. He has no settled principles; but is controlled by passion/desires and influenced by popular feeling; who is now inclined to one opinion or course of conduct, and then to another. The double-minded man is still a stubborn child and so he vacillates between the flesh and the Spirit. (Eph 4:14) He has not yet trained and disciplined his flesh and so he is entirely inconsistent and unstable. You cannot trust his word. He is not loyal or committed.
Let me ask you a hard question: is your conduct inconsistent? If I asked others, would they answer a resounding “YES!”? Does your life look like an sporadic EKG? I was talking to someone the other day, our faith and maturity should be at a level that when we go through major storms, it should feel like turbulence on a plane. We get bumped around a little, but we are secure.
However, I watch people go through hard seasons and these storms reveal their faith and maturity level. These people have huge ups and downs because they are not stable, but are all over the place led by their emotions and dictated by their circumstances; double-minded men, unstable in all their ways.
How do you remain fixed and stable in the midst of a hurricane? It’s the root that determines the fruit. The double-minded is not firmly rooted. You need to check your soil and do some long needed yard work. “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21 Implanted” or “engrafted” implies that the Word of God becomes one with our very nature, strengthening our root and bringing every fruit to maturation; when we receive and apply it.
Turn off your tv and stop listening to every voice. I will say that again for the people in the back- STOP LISTENING TO EVERY VOICE! Not everyone is a friend. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is to teach something to people and they go and listen to someone else, who’s not in relationship with them and who doesn’t have to look them in the face and give an answer to God for them.
Find yourself planted in a house of God and then come under the authority of that church body. If anyone speaks contrary about your church, shut that voice out. It will cause confusion. Any voice that causes confusion is not from God. Either God has placed you in that Body or He has not. If you can’t come into agreement, then you should leave. Church hopping and sporadically attendance only produces unstable people. If you are going to endure and weather the storm that’s coming, then you better be rooted and found inside an Ark.
To Learn More About Pastor Crystal please visit the Leadership Page
