The Beautiful Cure to Double-Mindedness

Sometimes, I struggle with indecisiveness and find help in Dr. Jaclyn Daniels’ “The Beautiful Cure to Double-Mindedness.”

God whispered the concept of these verses to me as a gentle reminder that He knows everything about me and is well able to provide for all my needs—big or small. Dr. Jaclyn Daniels #indecisvess #anxiety #trustGod
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Pick one and stick with it. Make a decision. It’s as simple as that.

I told myself this as I stood in my closet for an insane amount of time with the weather app on my phone, trying to decide if I should wear long sleeves, or short sleeves with a light sweater or jacket. I finally snapped out of it (because I was about to be late), donned a three quarter length sleeved shirt, and headed out the door.

I knew God’s Word said, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes” (1 Peter 3:3 NIV). But my problem went deeper than just my outer appearance. The following verse goes on to say, “Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

My inner self was not quiet.

I was bound by all kinds of fear. In the case of the shirts, it was fear of being too cold or hot and fear of hurting the other outfit’s feelings. Come on now, I was attributing feelings to inanimate objects. Really?!? I roll my eyes at myself. I even accidentally wore two different black shoes to work because I couldn’t decide right away and forgot I was wearing both. I have also been known to stand forever in line at a restaurant whose menu has stayed the same for decades, still torn between two or three options. Admittedly, these are trivial problems, but these examples demonstrate how badly indecisiveness had gripped my life. It was paralyzing, so you can only imagine how it was with more important decisions.

If you feel entrapped by having too many options or have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out), Dear one, I understand.

God’s correction is so sweet. He pointed me to James 1:5-8 AMP which says,

“⁵If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. ⁶But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. ⁷For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, ⁸being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].”

I was so reliant on my weather app that I rarely consulted the Lord for guidance on such “small” matters. How could I ever trust Him with big ones?

Again, God led me to another description of double-mindedness found in James 4:8 NLT.

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”

I had to come close to God in prayer, asking Him for His wisdom. He revealed that for something to be pure it must be full of only one thing. God led me to realize there were areas of my life I considered too small for Him. I was elevating my (in)ability to decide over trusting God’s wisdom to guide me through the cares of this world. I had become so full of fear of making the wrong decision that I was squeezing God out of my heart.

Ouch. Truth hurts, but it also heals. He came to me one more time this way:

“³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33 NIV).

God whispered the concept of these verses to me as a gentle reminder that He knows everything about me and is well able to provide for all my needs—big or small. Therefore, I can trust Him to give me the wisdom to free me from fear and indecisiveness.

Taking on a single mind focused on God, even in the small areas, was monumental in relinquishing fear’s grip on my life. When the decisions became more difficult, my faith had been strengthened to securely trust that God would lead me to the right decision. I had the confident assurance that if I made a mistake, God is bigger and already has provision for me.

I pray for you to have the same freedom that comes from a heart that is filled with only Him and the beauty of a soul that is quieted with His love. Seeking God’s wisdom first and making room for Him by purifying our hearts will cause us to expect God to provide everything we need when double-mindedness threatens to dethrone the King of kings in our lives.

Meet our Guest Writer, Dr. Jaclyn Daniels

Bio

Dr. Jaclyn Daniels, wife of one and mother of three, exhorts (encourages) people to fall deeper in love with the God who loved us first. She challenges them to use eyes of faith to see God everywhere.

Jaclyn holds an M.S. in Pharmacology and a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Biomedical Sciences. As an avid Sunday School and Bible Study lover from youth, Dr. Daniels has been studying God’s Word for decades and is uniquely prepared for her role in ministering to youth and women for more than 18 years.

“Don’t just get saved and stop there.” It is Jaclyn’s great joy to point others to the lavish love of God then challenge them to move toward becoming more like Christ. She enjoys seeing others draw closer to God with obedience in response to recognizing their worth and value in His eyes.

Link

www.instagram.com/DrJaclynDaniels

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