Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

STAND IN A CANOE

March 5, 2010

Stand in a Canoe

Ever try to stand up in a canoe? It's quite a challenge, and for most of us, we won't be standing long, but swimming.

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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. Those who doubt should not think they will receive anything from the Lord; they are double-minded and unstable in all they do.
- James 1:6-8 TNIV
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On the surface of these words of James, doubt, is condemned. You a doubter? Me too. Most of us are, methinks. And there's a bunch of them in the Bible, doubters, that is. So I risk scripture-twisting to say that the issue is double-mindedness, rather than simple doubt. "I believe, help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) The invitation for us is less: STOP DOUBTING, and more by the grace of God stop living with two Lords, two leaders, two "minds." We cannot be double-minded. It's going to be trusting Christ or....the canoe is going to tip, and we're swimming.

"Unstable in all they do." We know about this. James invites us to one mind, one heart, and the canoe begins to settle down.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson