When James wrote his letter, the church was facing persecution. He assured them that God would provide wisdom on how to navigate these trials, but this wisdom needed to be accepted with faith, without doubt or double-mindedness.
If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.
For the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:5-8).
In his book, Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing, Søren Kierkegaard takes James’s idea of being double-minded and compares it to Jesus’s teaching on having a pure heart. Kierkegaard believes that having a pure heart means focusing on one thing and refusing to be double-minded.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).
Kierkegaard’s book is tough to get through, but after struggling with it for a few years, I’m convinced he’s right. To will one thing means finding God’s purpose for your life and going after it. Being double-minded means wanting to follow God, but choosing a different path if He doesn’t give us what we want.
James says that double-minded people are doubting and unstable. Jesus, however, blesses those who are pure in heart, offering them the promise of seeing God. The truth is, we often find it easier to be double-minded than pure in heart.
How can we learn to have a pure heart? How can we work with God and allow the Holy Spirit to create a desire to will only one thing—God’s will for our lives?
I don’t have all the answers, but I have a few suggestions that might help. Let’s start with the difference between willfulness and willingness.
Willfulness is what puts us in a double-minded state. We want what we want, when we want it. If God can’t be persuaded to give us what we desire, we try to find another way.
Willingness, on the other hand, means consciously surrendering our will to God. We trust that God loves us, knows what’s best for us, and is actively working for our good. By doing this, we say to God, just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).
Moving from willfulness to willingness is tough. Merely relying on willpower won’t cut it. In fact, we will likely fail if we depend solely on willpower, since willpower itself is often rooted in our own willfulness. So, what can we do instead?
Dallas Willard compares the spiritual life to training for a sport. Simply trying harder in a sport without proper training usually doesn’t work. The same is true for the spiritual life. If we train, doing what we need to do becomes much more natural.
Spiritual disciplines are our training ground. They help us become more willing to surrender to God. It’s not about working harder to hand ourselves over to God; it’s about training ourselves to do so.
Our training focuses on building a close relationship with God, which includes regularly reading the Bible and praying. We can also spend time alone in silence, listen to God, and make a conscious effort to put others before ourselves. These practices allow the Holy Spirit to cultivate willingness within us in a world that often encourages self-interest.
I mention Dallas Willard to suggest that you take some time to listen to his lectures on YouTube. Just search for his name, and you’ll easily find many of his talks. As you listen, you’ll learn how to partner with the Holy Spirit and become more willing to follow God’s ways.
You’ll find that your heart’s desire will lean more toward being pure in heart—willing one thing. The ultimate goal is to see God more clearly, even if it’s just a bit better than before.
The Blessed Peacemakers
I am one of many Protestant ministers who believe Pope Leo is the most effective Christian leader in the world today. I deeply appreciate his passion and his active efforts to make the world more peaceful. He is not afraid to confront major world leaders and share his vision of peace.
Jesus has words for those who strive for peace, whether they’re making a global impact like the Pope or simply helping friends resolve disputes.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Peacemakers are blessed because they are called children of God. It’s important to understand that we don’t strive to be peacemakers as a prerequisite to joining God’s family.
Being a child of God means reflecting His character. God is the ultimate peacemaker. His Son, Jesus Christ, suffered on the cross to bring us peace and help us live in harmony.
For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us, abolishing the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it.
So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2:14-17).
Jesus showed us just how costly it is to make peace. On the cross, He made peace possible between people and God, and He also helped us find peace with one another.
It makes sense that if I call God my Father, then I must see others as my brothers or sisters. That is what peace is about.
When we work as peacemakers for the Lord, we are following His example. We might also realize how expensive this can be in terms of our time, energy, and much more.
Being pure in heart and making peace are not easy tasks. In a willful world, it’s natural to want to ignore conflicts, think, “This is not my problem,” and simply walk away.
We need to be careful when dealing with others in these situations so we don’t end up seeming like the Pharisees, who often criticized Jesus. However, if we strive to live like Jesus, we will find that there are times when He uses us to help make peace during conflicts.
Just like being pure in heart, to be a peacemaker, it is better to train than simply to try harder in a moment of crisis. Sure, we have to make an effort, but preparation is key.
We prepare best by reading the Bible to understand the mind of the Lord and by praying to stay in touch with His Holy Spirit. When we understand God’s will and listen to the Spirit, we are much more likely to become peacemakers who reflect God’s character in the world.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 