How to Know God's Will and Follow ItSample

How to Be Stable in Ever-Changing Winds

“Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6 (NLT)

Have you ever made a tough choice but then started doubting yourself the moment you made the decision? You kept asking yourself if you did the right thing. Maybe you even agonized over it.

The Bible says when you do this, you’re like a wave pushed around in a storm: “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do” (James 1:6-8 NLT).

When you depend on your own wisdom, you get tossed around by your doubts. Instead, God wants you to ask Him for guidance before you make a decision—and then trust Him and His goodness once the decision is made.

Trusting God sets you free from second-guessing yourself. You won’t be blown around, even if the winds keep changing and the future looks uncertain.

When you don’t trust God in your decisions, James says your loyalty will be divided between God and the world. In some translations of James 1:8, this divided loyalty is rendered as “double-minded.”

This comes from a Greek word that means “two-souled.”

It means you’re pulled in opposite directions, indecisive, and wavering back and forth. James says you shouldn’t expect God to give you His wisdom if you’re constantly second-guessing yourself. That’s because double-mindedness creates an unstable spiritual life. It affects your prayers and keeps you from receiving God’s insight.

But here’s the good news: God wants to give you wisdom! When you trust God in uncertain times—in all times—He will give you everything you need to make wise decisions.

This devotional © 2024 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.