As I venture through this life, I sometimes find myself swaying back and forth from death to life, from delusion to truth, from flesh to spirit, from the identity the world tries to give me to the identity Christ has given me. I am sure you can identify with this double-mindedness.
These are the thoughts and feelings of a double mind. Some that I have felt and some that I have heard:
Jesus, You are all I need.
But I also need another house because this one is too small! And I need a new job because these people are getting on my nerves!
It is the Lord who gives the increase!
But it isn’t fair the way he is getting promoted! He doesn’t deserve that!
I will let the world know about the God I serve on my Facebook page!
But I will not friend you on my “other” Facebook account because you don’t need to see my worldly behavior and conversation!
I will bless the Lord with all that is within me!
Except when my friends are watching. They might think something is wrong with me.
I go to church to worship the Lord!
But I can’t stand that style of music!
I am a son/daughter of the Most High! I have been adopted into the family of Christ! Old things have passed away. I am a new creation!
But my people, the ones who look like me, we’ve got to stick together!
In Christ there is no Jew nor Greek, male nor female.
But I am a Republican / Democrat to the core!
I love everyone just as Christ commanded.
But I wish someone would just kill the President!
Jesus is the Lord of my life!
I know what I am doing is wrong, but Jesus knows my heart.
Life and Death are in the power of the tongue.
Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you.
I will do my best and work as though I am working for the Lord.
But only when my boss is watching!
I will not cause my fellow brother to stumble or fall.
But you can’t take away my right to be offensive!
Some of these sound funny when you read them, but in truth, to be double-minded is dangerous! James 1:6-8 talks about a double-minded man. He 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”. To be unstable means to waver in both character and feelings.
There is a constant battle between flesh and spirit, but the choice to submit to the spirit is ours. We cannot love both the flesh and spirit. Luke 16:13 says, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.”
As followers of Christ, we must choose to submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit who lives inside us. We must worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, not just on Sunday, but every day of our lives. We are adopted sons and daughters and our identity is in Christ ALONE! Let the world see more of Him and less of us. By submitting wholly to Christ, we are choosing to be of one mind, the mind of Christ.
~Dionya Kelley
Christ Fellowship member
