Belief is a funny thing. It is easy to say “I believe…”, but it is much more difficult to put that into practice. Doubt is the enemy of belief. I have the ability to make quick, solid decisions, but I typically second guess myself and let doubt win the war and change my mind several times before doing something. How often have you changed your mind on something, only to find out your original thought was right?
In my previous post, I wrote about James 1:5, to ask God for help and wisdom whenever we are facing trials. But that is only half the story. James continues on, with a rather strong tone, that the problem most people have is when they ask God for wisdom and understanding, they don’t really believe He will give it.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 1:6-8
James is specifically talking about asking God for wisdom. Not winning the lottery, getting that dream job, passing your next exam, or any of the other things we pray diligently about. It is good to pray about those things and God does work through that, but here, he is specifically talking about praying for wisdom. Too often I ask God for help in making a decision and then second guess, or doubt, the answers God gives me, or even doubt that He will actually answer my prayer.
Doubt is paralyzing. The first sign that I may have made a wrong decision, I quickly change my mind and try to recover from my mistake. When we truly seek God’s wisdom, He gives us answers that sometimes don’t make sense. But if we trust him… we “believe and not doubt” God gives wisdom to all who ask.
Easier said than done. I struggle with this every day. I want to make the best decisions for my family and everyone who relies on me and the decisions I make. I usually get overly stressed about decisions when I am trying to make decisions based on my own ability and understanding. I am at peace the most when I have no idea what to do and seek God’s wisdom in making the decision. Seek God’s wisdom through prayer and study of the Bible.
At least I think I am. Maybe not. Yes, I am. Oh… I don’t know. Can somebody make the decision for me?
A funny cartoon by reverendfun.com shows a man speaking to Jesus. He is pointing at Jesus and saying, “So if I believe in you I will be saved ? Cause you’re standing right there…this one’s actually pretty easy for me.”
That is so true. it is very easy to believe in something that is standing right in front of you. There is a lot of evidence for God that is right in front of us. Maybe I should do a series on that one of these days.