Double Mind

James 1:8 “being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

As a kid, I can remember being fascinated by learning that human beings use only 10% of the brain. I used to wonder what kind of powers I would have if I used the other 90%. (Mind reading, spoon bending, levitation, etc.) Don't laugh! I know that some of you thought the same thing! What I find interesting, now that I am a grown man, is that 10% of our brain would be equal in size to that of a sheep. Sheep are the only animals in need of a Shepherd. Since God doesn’t make mistakes, I wonder if God only allows us the ability to use 10% of our brains in order to remind us that we too, are in need of a Shepherd, and in some ways are no different than sheep.

But what does it mean to be a double-minded man? My simple definition of a double-minded man is a man with 10% of his heart on God and 90% of his heart on self. The double-minded man externally lives for God, but internally lives to promote, gratify, and satisfy self. When we profess Christ but practice self; we live a life of concealment, put up a front, fail to be genuine, refuse to be transparent, and completely deceive ourselves. If you are living a life as a double-minded Christian, then you deceive yourself into thinking that God sees you in the same manner that man sees you. Listen, you may have the “Christian script” memorized. You may even beat out Deniro for the Oscar when it comes to playing the “Christian role”, but don’t be deceived! God sees you from the inside!! God looks at your heart!!! Jeremiah says in chapter 17, “the heart is more deceitful than anything else and is desperately sick.”

Jesus Christ didn’t come to save the righteous; He came to save sinners, because sinners understand that they possess a sick heart and are in need of healing. Self-righteousness is nothing more than self-deception. Only when we come to realize that we are truly sick, do we seek the care of a Physician. (Jesus Christ is the Great Physician!) When we deny the sickness of the human heart, self becomes number one and Jesus Christ plays “second fiddle.”

Do you have a genuine love for Christ in your heart? Or are you genuinely in love with self? If 10% of your heart desires Christ and 90% desires self, then you are being controlled by a deceitful heart and have become double-minded. God can transform 10% into 100%, but you have to let Him.

James 4:8 tells us how to become single-minded: " Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts you double minded." James says that the first step to single-mindedness is to draw near to God. We have to completly sell-out for Christ. This means dying to a life that lives to serve self and living a life that is dying to serve God. Next, James says that we have to be cleansed of sin. Cleansing comes by obedience to 1 John 1:9 through confession of sin. When we confess sin, we return the control of our life back to the power of the Holy Spirit. Walking in the power of the Spirit is the only way to neutralize the sinful desires of the flesh. Finally, we must purify our deceitful heart!! The only way that our heart can be purified is through washing by the water of the Word. We must consistently be renewing our mind by a growing dependance on the Word. The WORD is the only thing that can transform the mind and judge the “true” thoughts and intentions of the heart.

If we would only, sell out to Christ, consistently confess sin, and submit to the authority of the Scriptures, then God will transform us from double-minded and unstable to single minded and firmly rooted. Give God 100% of your heart and stop deceiving yourself.