Jame: 1:7-8

First I want to start by saying I hope my lack of comments has not made you think I have not been faithfully following these posts and readings :) I am! There are times when all of you have put my exact thoughts in such beautiful words I feel hardly a thing could be added! A time or tow though, I have only had time to read and not post.

Anyway, from yesterday....James 1:7-8

We just had a great class discussion on this the other day! Two examples were given and each really made me think. Here is the first:

Miss Jackson is a 3rd grade teacher and she told her class, "remember when you pray you should trust God. If you pray for a new bicycle for your birthday, you should believe that you will really get it or your prayer is an insult to God from a double-minded heart." The question asked was: what do you think of her instruction?

Obviously God is not a genie. Asking for a bicycle is asking for something totally for me, that in no way benefits my faith, its just for me. The example was about asking for things from God with the wrong motives.

The second example I appreciated a little more because its even more applicable.

Here it is:

Alicia just turned 19. She goes to church every Sunday and reads her bible regularly at home. At worship she prays the Lord's prayer. She has just done so this past week. But Friday night is the big party, and she plans to let herself get "talked into" getting drunk with the rest of her friends. This is something she has done before; in fact, it doesnt bother her much anymore. The question for this was: "What words in vs. 8 describe Alicia when she prays?"

Obviously double minded is the answer. But why? She is a double-minded person all together...either she is faithful or she is not. She cannot be both. She sounds like someone who would know what God says about getting drunk, yet willingly lets herself get talked into going against what she believes in.

So even now, when she prays for forgiveness, is she being double minded? I ask this because someone pointed out in class that "being forgiven (knowing you will be) does not condone sinning on purpose"

If she were truly sorry for letting herself get talked into such things, you would think an effort would be made to stop.

So in praying for anything, even as deep as forgiveness, lets not be double minded.

That is what these verses say to me.