One List

"like a wave of the sea"

If you could ask for anything and receive it, what would it be?

Now suppose there was one caveat.  There is always a catch, isn't there?

The caveat is that you have to truly believe you will receive it, without a doubt, or it won't happen.  Is that hard to do?

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 today's letter from James, we are told to believe that God will grant us wisdom if we ask and believe.    If we doubt, all bets are off.

Well, why would I doubt?

I probably wouldn't, if I am asking for wisdom, but what if I am asking for something more tangible, like a new job, or money to pay the rent?

It may not be as easy to trust that God will take care of these things for me.

Why is that?  Why do we find it easy to ask for some things without a doubt, but for others we start to question the whole process?

I wonder if it is a matter of control.

As I ask for things like patience and wisdom and peace in my heart, I see these things as feelings, emotions and actions of the mind, things I can control, if I have the confidence and security of knowing I am not alone in doing them.  But when it comes to things outside my control, that's another story.

I know.  I have a hard time with this sometimes.  I don't expect God to take care of all my needs and solve all my problems.  And I am right!  He doesn't.

I may start out putting my faith in Him.  He will help me find that job, get the money, solve the problem, but I have to do the work, don't I?

This is where that double-mind issue comes into play.

If I see limits in what God will do to help me, they will be there.  But if I see no limits, what then?  Will someone call me up and offer me a job out of the blue?  Will a check arrive in the mail in time to pay my bills?

It is almost as if James is giving God an easy way out.  If I don't get what I ask for, it's my fault for not believing enough.  How does one prove that?

So, maybe it boils down to this.  I go through life with two lists.  On list has all the things I look to God to help me with, not expecting Hm to do them for me, but to guide me, give me strength, comfort me when I am hurt or lost or failing.  The other list is the stuff I need to do for myself, the practical stuff, like find a job, pay the bills, feed and protect my family.

As long as everything stays on the right list, I can live with my double-mindedness.

But when things start to fall apart, when I stumble and fall, watch out.  That's when I throw everything on the God list and pray like I never prayed before.  When all else fails, stick to one list.