The concept of being “double-minded” comes from a verse in the book of James:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:5-8)
To understand what it means to be double-minded, we need to examine the context of this passage. James is instructing believers that if they lack wisdom, they should ask God for it in faith, without doubting. He uses the illustration of the surf being tossed around by the wind to depict the state of a person who doubts – unstable and constantly shifting. This person is described as “double-minded.”
The term “double-minded” comes from the Greek word dipsuchos which literally means “two souls/minds.” It refers to being inwardly conflicted, divided in interests or loyalties. A double-minded person harbors contradictory desires or inclinations that pull them in opposite directions. Their desires and their actions are at odds with each other.
James says the double-minded person “ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:7). Why is this? A double-minded person is constantly wavering between faith and doubt, belief and unbelief. Their loyalties are divided between trusting God and trusting in themselves or other things. They lack consistency and integrity in their walk with God.
A double-minded believer may pray to God for wisdom yet doubt that God will provide it. They vacillate between trusting in God’s promises and questioning His faithfulness. This inner conflict produces instability in all areas of their life. A house divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:25).
James instructs believers to ask God for wisdom “in faith without any doubting” (James 1:6). The opposite of a double-minded person is someone single-minded in their devotion to God. This type of faith and loyalty is required for our prayers to be answered and to receive God’s blessings in our lives.
Signs of a Double-Minded Person
What are some signs or manifestations of a double-minded person?
- Instability and inconsistency in thoughts, emotions, and actions
- Frequent wavering between different options and opinions
- The inability to wholeheartedly commit to God or His will
- A life of compartmentalization – faith in one area of life, unbelief in another
- Fluctuating between enthusiasm for God and apathy toward spiritual things
- A pattern of inconsistent behavior and broken commitments
- Being heavily influenced by the opinions of others
- A lack of decisive follow-through on intentions, promises, and plans
In summary, double-mindedness reveals itself in a believer’s inconsistent thoughts toward God, wavering commitment to obey God’s Word, and pattern of unstable behavior. There is a lack of wholehearted devotion to following the Lord.
Causes of Double-Mindedness
What leads a person to be double-minded? Here are some potential causes:
- Ignorance of God’s character – Not knowing God’s attributes like His sovereignty, goodness, faithfulness and immutability can breed mistrust, doubt and double-mindedness.
- Misplaced priorities – When other pursuits like wealth, success, status or pleasures compete with God for first place in our hearts, it leads to divided loyalties.
- Unbelief – A failure to trust in God’s Word and take Him at His promises opens the door to doubting and wavering.
- Worldly influence – Pressure from ungodly peers and the allure of sin can sway us from wholehearted commitment to God.
- Disobedience – Acting against God’s principles harms our fellowship with Him and promotes double-mindedness.
- Trials – Difficult seasons can challenge our faith in God’s goodness and care for us.
- Self-reliance – Depending on our wisdom and strength instead of God’s fosters wavering and instability.
In a nutshell, anything that draws us away from trusting and obeying God wholeheartedly makes us susceptible to double-mindedness.
Consequences of Being Double-Minded
What happens when a believer persists in double-mindedness? Here are some consequences:
- Spiritual stagnation and lack of growth in Christlikeness. A divided heart stunts our growth (James 1:8).
- Prayers hindered. God promises to answer the prayers of those wholly devoted to Him (John 15:7).
- Loss of divine wisdom and direction. Double-mindedness forfeits wisdom from God (James 1:5-8).
- Spiritual instability and confusion. Division in the heart translates into instability in life (James 1:8).
- Poor Christian witness. The double-minded person’s inconsistency discredits their testimony for Christ.
- Discipline from God. Scripture warns that those who waver will receive nothing from God and be disciplined as illegitimate children (James 1:7-8, Hebrews 12:5-11).
In summary, being double-minded results in stagnation in our walk with God, forfeiture of God’s blessings, instability and confusion in life, poor testimony, and potential discipline from God.
Overcoming a Double Mind: Developing Single-Minded Devotion
How can a double-minded believer become single-minded and stable in their commitment to God? Here are some tips:
- Examine your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). Ask God to reveal divided loyalties or anything competing with Him in your affections.
- Study God’s Word (Psalm 1:1-3). Immersing yourself in Scripture will unify your mind with God’s truth.
- Build your trust in God (Proverbs 3:5-6). Recall His past faithfulness to strengthen your confidence in His character and promises.
- Commit your plans to God (Proverbs 16:3). Seek His will rather than your own so your purposes align with His.
- Obey God consistently (James 1:22-25). Obedience unifies your desires with God’s desires.
- Pray for undivided loyalty (Psalm 86:11). Ask God to incline your heart to Him alone.
- Reject worldly influence (Romans 12:1-2). Stay away from anything or anyone swaying you from undivided devotion.
- Take up your cross (Luke 9:23). Choosing to deny yourself to follow Christ single-mindedly trains you against double-mindedness.
Becoming single-minded begins with examining our hearts, building trust in God through His Word, and making a firm commitment to obey God in all our ways. As James instructs, ask Him for wisdom without doubt or wavering, and wisdom will be given! (James 1:5-8).
Bible Verses about Being Double-Minded
Here are some key Bible verses about double-mindedness:
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24)
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8)
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:15-16)
“A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)
“Teach me Your way, O LORD; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” (Psalm 86:11)
These verses emphasize that God requires undivided loyalty. We cannot serve both Him and other masters. When our hearts are conflicted between God and other affections, we become spiritually unstable. The solution is seeking to unite our hearts in wholehearted devotion to God alone.
Examples of Double-Mindedness in the Bible
The Bible includes many examples of double-mindedness that provide sobering warnings for believers:
- Lot’s wife was double-minded when she looked back to Sodom while being rescued by angels (Genesis 19:15-26).
- The Israelites were double-minded, wanting to serve God but also worshiping idols (1 Kings 18:21).
- Solomon’s heart was turned from single-minded devotion to God by his many foreign wives (1 Kings 11:4).
- Peter began to sink while walking on water when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind and waves (Matthew 14:28-31).
- The rich young ruler wanted eternal life but was unwilling to give up his wealth to follow Jesus wholeheartedly (Matthew 19:16-22).
- Ananias and Sapphira pretended to be fully devoted to God while holding back dishonestly (Acts 5:1-10).
Each example shows the danger of a divided heart and highlights the importance of undivided loyalty to God. We reap consequences when we attempt to serve both God and other masters.
Prayers for an Undivided Heart
Scripture encourages us to regularly pray for God to develop within us an undivided heart wholly committed to Him. Here are some sample prayers we can pray:
Lord Jesus, I confess my frequent double-mindedness toward you. My affections are often divided between you and other desires that compete for my loyalty. Please cleanse my heart and unify it to love and serve you alone. Uproot any idol or distraction dividing my devotion. Make my heart single-minded in pursuing you. Help me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Thank you for your grace when I waver. Increase my trust in your unfailing love. I surrender every area of my life fully to your lordship. I want to walk in step with your Spirit at all times. Tune my heart to beat in rhythm with yours. I pray for undivided loyalty to you alone as my King. In your name, Amen.
Father God, forgive me for attempting to divide my heart’s loyalty between you and other masters. I know that I cannot serve both you and other gods – wealth, comfort, people’s approval, worldly success. Please purify my desires to long for you alone. When I feel my devotion wavering, discipline me as your true child. Keep me from hardening my heart through the deceitfulness of sin. Help me fix my eyes on Jesus always, not growing weary or losing heart. Thank you for your patience as you transform my double mind into an undivided heart wholly yours. I pray for the day when Christ will return to make all things new and perfect my faith and devotion eternally. But until then, I ask for strength to continue following you with undivided loyalty all my days. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Quotes on Double-Mindedness
In summary, here are some insightful quotes from Christian teachers about the danger of being double-minded:
“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways because he doesn’t know what his ways are!” – Vance Havner
“The beginning of double mindedness is reasonings about the path of duty.” – Oswald Chambers
“The double minded man is a monstrosity; he seeks to order his life neither by divine revelation nor honest reasoning.” – A.W. Tozer
“How long are you going to be torn between God and Baal? Make up your minds!” – Elijah in 1 Kings 18:21 (MSG)
“No one can be a half-hearted follower of Jesus. His heart is undivided in its loyalty, and your heart must be the same.” – A.W. Tozer
May these warnings inspire us to examine our own hearts. Let’s pray for God to develop within us undivided loyalty leading to stability, wisdom and answered prayers!
