The Double-minded Woman

“A double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways.” James 1:8

Being a woman who desires to live for God is not an easy undertaking. We are daily bombarded with the world’s values, and it takes great singleness of mind not to make an impression on us. Scripture tells us clearly that we cannot serve two masters. We must have a single focus. Singleness of mind, purpose, and focus enables us to make huge progress spiritually and to transform our lives.

The opposite of singleness of mind is double-mindedness. James 1:8 warns of being double-minded and describes this type of person as being unstable in all of his ways. Double-mindedness means we try to run our lives on multiple standards or with different conflicting criteria for different parts of our lives. Double-mindedness involves hardness of the heart. We sometimes shield certain aspects of our lives from the close scrutiny of the Holy Spirit. When we do that repeatedly, we harden parts of our heart, by ignoring what the Holy Spirit is saying to us about a certain area, or by preventing ourselves from hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying.
 
Some people associate double-mindedness to the waves of an ocean. Just as the waves are driven and tossed, they are restless and uncertain in their direction. This is much the way a double-minded woman lives her life. She is not convinced that God’s way is the best. She treats God’s Word like human advice, retaining the option of disobedience. She wavers between feelings, the world’s ideas, and God’s commands. 
 
The cure for a doubtful, double-mind is a wholehearted commitment to God’s way. Believe that He knows what is best for us. Ask Him for wisdom and trust that He will give it to you. We must continually renew our minds to align our motivations and actions with the will of God. It is only when we align ourselves with God’s Word that the hardened parts of our heart will become open to the working of the Holy Spirit and then He will achieve His purpose in us.
 
I am reminded by the struggle I had with the decision  whether to work, or stay home and be the  keeper of the home that God called me to. I felt as though I was being tossed about, and it was a constant conflict which caused discontentment, fear, and anxiety within me. I knew what the Scriptures said, but in this case I didn’t feel that God’s way was the best. It was only when I was passed over for a high paying full time job I was fully qualified to do, that I looked back at my misdirected steps. 
 
I pray that you will stand for His sake and not be tossed about like the waves of the ocean. Become the single-minded virtuous woman God desires us to be. Be willing to resist the pressures of the world, and be confident that God’s Word contains the answer and direction for your life. 

From the Kindred Spirits Journal, Issue #8
Article by Donna Martin, 2004