MAKE UP YOUR MIND

MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

(James 1: 5-8)

Shelby G. Floyd

April, 2008

Have you ever said to anyone, "would you please make up your mind?" When there are several choices, some people just cannot make up their mind. Have you ever observed someone who didn't seem to have the talent or resources to do very much, yet they would accomplish something great? You might ask them, "How did you do that?" They might reply, "Well, I just made up my mind that I was going to do that and that's what I did!"

It is very important for us to make up our mind, especially in reference to serving God. James encourages Christians to make up their minds:

James 1:5-8

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

NIV

The world is a very unstable place. But God and his word are stable, fixed and constant. And we can have a sure foundation in Christ, but we must make up our mind what we're going to do! We must make up our mind that we will believe in Christ and serve him faithfully.

Sometimes in the world, confusion, indecision, and disorder are badges of honor. But this is not so in the sight of God. A Christian should be a decisive person that can make up his mind about crucial matters.

DOUBT

Notice that James is teaching that we should go to God in prayer and ask for wisdom when it is lacking in our lives. (James 1:6.) But he says that when we ask God for wisdom, we should not doubt that he would give it to us. Those who doubt in God's provisions are like a wave of the sea that is tossed and blown about by the wind. Have you ever stood on the shore of the mighty ocean on a stormy day and noticed how the waves are the victim of the raging wind? The waves are blown this way and that way—they seem to have neither direction nor purpose, but go whichever way the wind blows. One who doubts is like the wave of sea that the wind tosses around!

A doubter is a double-minded person, who attempts to pay homage to two masters. And Jesus said that is an impossible task:

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”

NIV

A doubter is an unstable person that is restless and confused. To doubt is to be in conflict with you. A doubter is unstable like a drunken man, staggering first this way and then that way! These are all apt illustrations of what it is like to be a doubter.

UNSTABLE MIND

To be a doubter is a mark of mental instability. This means that one is debating in one’s own mind all the time. It is all right to have some doubts, but then one must make up his mind as to what is true. We cannot spend all of our life doubting. If this is the case, all we are doing is debating with ourselves. Jesus said, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Therefore, admit your doubts, then go to the evidence and the facts, and make up your mind what the truth is—then make your choice. Unless we do this, we will never arrive at any conclusion. Thayer defines the Greek word translated doubt (diakrinw--diakrino), as "being at variance with one's self." It is not good to always be at variance with one's self. If all we do is doubt and never make any decisions, we are at variance with ourselves and we become very unstable people.

In the Old Testament we read about Jacob (Israel) and his 12 sons. Before he died he made a prophetic declaration about what each one of those sons would accomplish in their lifetime. Concerning one of those sons he said, "You shall be as unstable as water, you shall not excel." (Genesis 49: 4.) Do you realize how unstable water is? Put water in a bucket and it is a liquid and spherical in shape. Put water in an ice tray and freeze it and it becomes a solid. Also if you put water in a teakettle and turn the heat on high, it becomes a gas. Water is a very unstable substance. I don't think it would be a compliment for someone to refer to us as being, "unstable as water."

The first point we seek to make is we must go past our doubts before we can make up our minds and make a proper decision.

A DOUBLE-MINDED PERSON

Next, let us notice that James says a doubter is a “double-minded person, who is unstable in all of his ways." (James 1: 8.) The word double-minded translates the Greek word diyucos -- dipsuchos and means, "to have two minds or two souls." James is the only writer in the Bible to use this word. Some have suggested that James may have coined this new word. James may have come up with his word that was never used by anyone before him. After James, other writers used this word. The word double-minded is found twice in the New Testament and both of these references are found in the book of James. The other reference reads:

James 4:8

Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

NIV

I remember in a Bible class at another congregations reference was made to lifting up holy hands to God in prayer. One member came to me after class and said, "I cannot lift up my hands, because they are not holy." My answer to that person is the answer of James, "Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded." (James 4:8.)

Therefore if our hands are not holy, we need to cleanse our hands before we can lift them up to God in prayer—either figuratively or literally! And if our hearts are double-minded, we need to purify our hearts. People who have evil and corrupt hearts are double-minded people. They have two souls or two hearts.

Let us notice an illustration of what kind of a person that might be:

Two men lived in a small village one time and they had a terrible dispute between themselves that they could not resolve. So they decided to take their case to the town judge. The first man went to the judge's home one evening and told his version of what happened. When he had finished the judge said, "You are absolutely right." The next evening, the other man decided he would go to see the judge and tell his side of the story. After he had finished the judge said, "You are absolutely right." Afterwards the wife of the judge rebuked him. She said, "These two men told you two entirely different stories and you told both of them they were absolutely right. Both of these men could not be absolutely right. The judge looked at his wife and said, "You are absolutely right!"

There are a lot of people who are like that judge. "They are anybody's dog who will hunt with them." They will say yes to everything. They figure the best way to “get along” is to “go along!” You will never have any disputes if you say to everyone who comes along, "you are absolutely right," especially if you say that to your wife!

A double-minded and unstable person will see so many choices that they cannot make up their mind as to what is the right course of action. The road goes here and there, the road goes north and south, and do I leave today or tomorrow? They can never make up their mind because they see too many choices.

Do you know what a person like that is called? We call them schizophrenic. A schizophrenic is a person who is double-minded with two souls or two minds. Actually, in some ways we are becoming a nation of schizophrenics—we are becoming a people who have a hard time knowing what the truth is and making up our minds about it.

One time there was a man and a woman who came to an agreement before they were married. They agreed that he would make all of the major decisions and she would make all of the minor decisions. After twenty years of marriage someone asked the husband how that arrangement had worked out. He said that it had worked well because he never had to make any major decisions.

We have a problem in America and in the church with many men not exercising leadership in the family. They are fearful of making decisions and so by default the wife makes the decisions for them. Men like this are double-minded, and unstable in all other ways. Men, make up your mind to be a spiritual leader in your family and in the congregation of God's people.

The problem today is there are too many who have a double-mind, a double-heart, and as a result there's a lot of double-talk! David described that kind of person in one of his Psalms:

Psalms 12:2

They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

KJV

Let us go back to the Old Testament, and look at an example of a great prophet of God who called the people to make a decision (1 Kings 18.) Israel had compromised with idolatry. They were double-minded, wanting to worship God one day and the next day Baal. As a result God brought a famine in the land. Ahab was the king of Israel. Ahab was a weak, double-minded, and unstable leader. But he was married to a strong-willed, wicked woman by the name of Jezebel. That is always a dangerous combination. Jezebel came from a background of idolatry. And she was determined that the people around her were going to worship Baal. Where was the leadership of Ahab at this time? He should have opposed his wife and demanded the worship of the true and living God. The prophets of God were generally true to their calling. Jezebel hated these prophets and had one hundred of them put to death. A counselor by the name of Obadiah feared God and took one hundred of the prophets and hid them by fifty in each cave. He sustained them with bread and water.

Ahab did not like Elijah, because he always told him things that he did not want to hear. Ahab wanted Elijah to scratch his itching ears, but Elijah refused to do so. (Cf. 1 Timothy 4:1-4.) He therefore hated Elijah and wanted to kill him.

Without water everyone and everything was subject to death. Ahab called Obadiah and instructed him to go in one direction and he would go in another direction to find water. As Obadiah went his way he met the prophet Elijah. Elijah instructed Obadiah to go tell Ahab he was ready to meet with him. Upon hearing this Obadiah was fearful for his life. He said, "Ahab has been looking for you everywhere and he cannot find you. If I go and tell him that you want to meet with him, he will slay me, because he hates you so much." Elijah replied, "As the Lord lives, you go and tell him that I am ready to meet him." Finally Ahab and Elijah met. Elijah commanded Ahab to call together the four hundred fifty prophets of Baal and also the four hundred prophets from the groves and bring them up to Mount Carmel. He also charged Ahab to bring all Israel together so there could be a contest between God and Baal to prove who the true God was.

Elijah commanded the prophets of Baal to select a sacrifice, cut it in pieces, build an altar, lay the sacrifice on the altar, but they were to put no fire under it. Then they were told to cry out to their god to consume that sacrifice. They did so, but they did not receive an answer. There was silence.

Elijah mocked these false prophets. He taunted and encouraged them to cry out a little louder. He said perhaps your God has gone to sleep or he has gone on a journey. The false prophets under this pressure worked themselves into a frenzy even cutting themselves with lances. At the end of the day they were all exhausted.

Elijah then took his sacrifice, cut it in pieces, and laid it on the altar. He then instructed his helpers to make a trench around the altar, to fill four barrels full of water and poor the water on the altar and the sacrifice. They did this several times until there was so much water on the sacrifice that even the trench was overflowing with water. Then Elijah called on God to come down from heaven and consume the sacrifice. A fire came down and consumed the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the water in the trench and even licked up the dust.

That day Israel found out for sure that God was the true God—if they could just make up their mind that they would serve him. So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said,

1 Kings 18:20-21

How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

KJV

Notice that Elijah asked them how long they would halt between two opinions. He is really asking them how long they would be double-minded. Israel could not make up their mind! How long would they doubt, how long would they halt between two ideas? They could not make up their minds so, "they answered him not a word." Let us not be like that. Let us make up our mind. As someone has said, "lead, follow, or get out of the way." That is what he Elijah was challenging Israel to do.

Now let us be single-minded people—to make up our mind and make the one all-encompassing decision to believe, obey and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. The decision to obey the gospel and be faithful to the end of our lives comprehends all other matters. Make that decision and stick with it through the rest of your life.

I like this statement of Yogi Berra, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” You might ask, "Which way shall I go?" Will you please just make up your mind? That is the whole point of this lesson. Make up your mind which way is right and the way that you should go.

I have always liked the books by Dr. Seuss like “The Cat in the Hat,” and “Green Eggs and Ham.” He had a wonderful way with words. This poem illustrates the importance of making up your mind about a matter:

Did I ever tell you about the young Zoad?

Who came to a sign at the fork of the road

He looked one way and the other way too

The Zoad had to make up his mind what to do

Well, the Zoad scratched his head,

And his chin, and his pants

And he said to himself, "I'll be taking a chance.

If I go to Place One, that place may be hot

So how will I know if I like it or not.

On the other hand, though, I'll feel such a fool

If I go to Place Two and find it’s too cool

In that case I’ll catch a chill and turn blue.

So Place One may be best and not Place Two

Play safe," cried the Zoad,

"I'll play safe, I'm no dunce.

I'll simply start off to both places at once.

And that's how the Zoad who would not take a chance

Went no place at all with a split in his pants.

We have a lot of people in the world and in the church that are like young Zoad. They cannot make up their mind, which way they should go. They want to go in both directions at the same time.

To all who have not made up your mind about Christ, will you stop doubting, will you stop being double-minded, and will you stop being unstable in all of your ways? Be single-minded and make that one single decision to believe, obey and serve Jesus Christ the rest of your life. That one single decision can be summed up in the good confession made by the apostle Peter:

Matthew 16:15-17

He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

KJV

EXHORTATION

Make up your mind, repent of your sins, confess your faith in Christ and be baptized for the remission of all your sins. All spiritual blessings in heavenly places are to be found in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 1: 3.)

God wants all of us to follow the attitude and injunction of Joshua in his valedictory speech before his death:

Joshua 24:14-16

Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;

KJV

I ask you to make a choice as to who you will serve. Make up your mind! What will your answer be? Will you serve the gods of this world that are no gods at all? Or will you serve the God who created heaven and earth and all its tenants? Will you serve the God that sent Christ in the world to die for your sins? Christ has promised eternal life to all who will obey him. (Hebrews 5: 8-9.) Will you make up your mind and choose him this day? *