Such a man was unstable in his walk. He became unsure for his well-being. This man did his best to present an image of soundness while at the same time he was unsteady. The picture he painted was someone who was imbalanced, wobbly in his physique and thinking. The result of this man’s life was one of insecurity. His decisions and purpose was unpredictable. He did his best to not be erratic. His convictions were variable depending on circumstances. His decisions were changeable. At times this man was disappointed in himself by his inability to stand strong in his decisions. All that the man did came from good intentions. There were times he found himself betwixt and between people and their demands that may have originated from their own selfish desires. He wanted all to be happy and well while at the same time suffered himself by the variance of his walk. Others criticized him when he was “not on their side.” Mostly, people did not understand him. The rickety old man aged prematurely by the stress from the demands that was placed on himself. His spiritual life was stymied because he saw himself as responsible for that which was outside his responsibilities.
Who was this rickety old man?
He is named in James 1:8 that says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” This is the person who vacillates to please other people without making decisions favorable to himself or to God. This is the person who has no grounding in biblical truth. The rickety old man is burdened by the proponents of others. He could be called a people pleaser, but he is one who rarely is able to please people because their expectation could easily vacillate. A double minded person rarely has any internal strengths when it comes to saying, “No!” This individual may have beliefs, but they are hidden, unused, unaddressed and affected by the stress they put on themselves. Worst of all, the internal life of this person is easily harmed. The injuries to such a rickety old man emotionally and spiritually could be long-lasting.
The cure to this double minded thinking is to take a stand right or wrong. It is to begin appreciating his own uniqueness, his own values to society, his own convictions of Scripture. This person must be willing to help himself with God’s guidance and blessing. The purpose of being double minded is to seek the benefits simultaneously from both sides. A healthy confidence in oneself must be generated by recognizing the good qualities the person has including a strong growing relationship with God. The benefits of being double blinded are false. To waffle between opinions, between lifestyle, between allegiances is a huge deficit on the person’s quality of life. In opposition to this style of living is first to have a closer walk with God. Then it is a matter of being willing to accept the consequences whatever they may be. To overcome being double minded, the person must teach himself how to trust God while trusting himself. Turning away from being double minded could require a rejection for being concerned about how other people think of him. This cure requires a collaboration between person and God. The question, of course, is how bad does the person really want to be spiritually and mentally healthy?
Christian Writer 