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James and the Dangers of Doubt

James 1:5-8NIV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

-The wisdom James is talking about (verse 5) is not just some vague sense of needing direction. This is in direct response to the words that precede it (verses 2-4).

-James knows there will be believers who cannot understand how to see God at work in their trial.

-We don’t have a wisdom problem, we have a doubt problem. God has promised to give us wisdom if we ask. Our part is not to doubt Him.

-Doubt festers when we believe this lie: God cannot be trusted

The question is not if you doubt, but rather, what do you do with your doubt?

Mark 9:20-24NIV

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” 23 “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 11:22-24NIV

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

There’s only one place for your doubt – at the foot of the cross.

Other resources for further study:

Proverbs 3:5-8

Matthew 14:31

Jude 1:22

Mark 9:24

James and the Dangers of Doubt
God is with us on this journey. We believe, for such a time as this, He has called us.

James 1:5-8
James and the Dangers of Doubt

‭‭James‬ ‭1:5-8‬‬
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

The secret to persevering under trials is not to try harder, it’s not that we grin and bear it until we get through.

Here’s the truth: On your own you CANNOT BE TOUGH ENOUGH.

The secret, is really no secret at all. If we want a new perspective amidst the challenges of life, we have only to ask and believe our heavenly father, and he will provide, just what we need, but we must ask with the right heart.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:5‬‬
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

“Hey guys, if you are struggling to see your trials this way, its ok, we all do, but you need to ask God to help you see it differently, He is always happy to help you in this way”

“Knowledge is knowing that a Tomato is a fruit- Wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad.”

Wisdom in a sense is the ability of a believer to discern and live out the will of God.

Proverbs 8:35 claims that finding wisdom, means finding life and receiving favor from the Lord.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:6‬‬
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Just as God is sincere and focused on what is best for us, so we must ask with a sincere and undivided heart.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt…”
When we pray, we must pray with a singular, sincere focus. That’s the essence of faith- a resolute trust and dependency on God.

If we are praying in the morning, then toiling and worrying all day about how we are going to deal with the problem- that’s doubting God.

‭‭James‬ ‭1:7-8‬‬
That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

The word double minded here again carries the idea of unbelief, lacking faith, or of wavering loyalty.

It speaks of a person who won’t take a stand when it comes to moral choices.

But, as strong as James finishes this text, we need to remember where we started, with an invitation to ask God for what we need.

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9:21-25‬‬
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

Everything is possible for one who believes-

Our prayer today in the midst of the trials of life:
Lord, I do believe; Help me overcome my unbelief!

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY