Studies in James: Lesson 8

STUDIES IN JAMES: LESSON 8

Read James 1:7,8

If you had fallen over a precipice and were hanging on a limb calling for help, which kind of person would you prefer answer your call: a strong person who may or may not help you or a weak person whom you knew would do his best?

If you, as the owner of a company, had an absolute deadline to meet by the end of the week, which person would you hire to help you do the job: a steady and reliable--but slow--person who had no conflicting interests; or a faster person who was very involved in a wide variety of community and civic activities?

In these verses, still speaking about the person who wavers, James tells us:

I. Such a person has no right to think that he will receive anything from the Lord.

A. All men do receive blessings from the Lord.

"[Your Father] maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:45
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." Titus 2:11

B. Receiving blessings from the Lord is not the same as having the real expectancy that God will meet your needs and grant your desires. Those who waver in their faith do receive from God (as all men do), but they cannot expect anything from the Lord. His blessings are promised to those who serve and honor Him, they are only incidental to others.

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Psalm 37:4
"Blessed is the man . . . [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord." Psalm 1:1,2

II. The root of the problem is in the unstable nature and character of the wavering man: "he is unstable in all his ways."

A. In the world, nothing is accomplished by those who can never decide what they want to do, but even those with handicaps can accomplish much when they go after a goal with a single determination. Olympic stars are men and women who have one predominant goal in their life--to be the best.

1. James is again reminding us of the words of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount:

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24

2. Paul applied the same principle to his ministry:

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

B. The Scripture has many examples of doublemindedness:

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 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." 1 Kings 18:21

"They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away form thence." 2 Kings 17:33

"Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:" Isaiah 29:13

III. It is important that we understand that wavering refers to those who start and stop, or to those who turn first one way, then another.

It does not refer to those who find it hard to believe, or to those with weak faith. Referring back to the questions at the beginning, think of the story of the tortoise and the hare (turtle and rabbit). Victory in any area of life comes to those who steadily strive, not to those who start fast and tire soon. Scripturally, we are in much safer hands with a weak person rather than a strong, doubtful person. A single minded person is a much better employee, even when speed is required, than a fast person with many other interests. God blesses those who serve Him, even if they serve slowly or weakly. He does not honor those who serve Him with great ability who only serve in spurts. He desires our faithfulness, not our ability, our dedication, not our talent. He is capable of providing the talent and the ability; we must provide the stedfastness.