Doubleminded - lets get rid of it

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thecreationtutor

thecreationtutor

Senior Member
#1
Jun 30, 2011
2,521
35
0
#1
So, I am into posts that help me to change, not so much proving my point, or having to be right - Laura-Charlotte made me post again

So As I have been posting about thinking differently, the series I have been watching and gleaning from, the last installment was on Getting rid of Double-mindedness

That's when you want 2 things that cannot coexist

good marriage - selfishness
secret sin - a growing relationship with God


For me it is

Relationships - Negative thinking

Purity - not having pure motives

I say purity - yes I want to keep my self pure, avoid sexual immorality, but I also want to have the right motives for why I want to change.

For a long time I was seeking change for a woman, and I found that no matter how I changed, it was never good enough
Sure God is faithful, and those are changes that need to happen, but why am I doing them? Is it for Jesus' Glory or my own Glory?

This one is hard: Am I fleecing God where if I change, He will give me what I really want?

If we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.... My motive should be to honor Christ, to show thanksgiving for what He has done for me, and because sin is death.

Doesn't Double-mindedness make you unstable in all your ways as James says?

So it doesn't' just effect one area of your life but others as well -


I am trying to learn, it has to be for God's glory first, then the good of people - Love God, Love people right?
 
KohenMatt

KohenMatt

Senior Member
#2
Jun 28, 2013
4,021
223
63
#2
thecreationtutor said:
So, I am into posts that help me to change, not so much proving my point, or having to be right - Laura-Charlotte made me post again

So As I have been posting about thinking differently, the series I have been watching and gleaning from, the last installment was on Getting rid of Double-mindedness

That's when you want 2 things that cannot coexist

good marriage - selfishness
secret sin - a growing relationship with God


For me it is

Relationships - Negative thinking

Purity - not having pure motives

I say purity - yes I want to keep my self pure, avoid sexual immorality, but I also want to have the right motives for why I want to change.

For a long time I was seeking change for a woman, and I found that no matter how I changed, it was never good enough
Sure God is faithful, and those are changes that need to happen, but why am I doing them? Is it for Jesus' Glory or my own Glory?

This one is hard: Am I fleecing God where if I change, He will give me what I really want?

If we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.... My motive should be to honor Christ, to show thanksgiving for what He has done for me, and because sin is death.

Doesn't Double-mindedness make you unstable in all your ways as James says?

So it doesn't' just effect one area of your life but others as well -


I am trying to learn, it has to be for God's glory first, then the good of people - Love God, Love people right?
Click to expand...
Excellent thoughts and questions.
These are things many of us deal with as well, so you're not alone on this journey.

Thanks for your humility and vulnerability!
 
JesusLives

JesusLives

Senior Member
#3
Oct 11, 2013
14,551
2,171
113
#3
I can tell you what I have done that has helped me tremendously this last year with working on what I call pet sins. In the spring back in May I prayed to God and I gave myself to Him and my gluttony problem. I have ignored doing anything about this for years and had made up all kinds of excuses to continue in this sin. But once I said that prayer God has really helped me to get a handle on this eating problem and it is wonderful to see pounds being shed as a result of this submission to God.

I would say try it and see if God does not rush to your aid and help you with this double mindedness that you are speaking of. Working in partnership with God is a very blessed thing to do and He does all the heavy lifting.
 
Joidevivre

Joidevivre

Senior Member
#4
Jul 15, 2014
3,838
271
83
#4
I loved your post, but only one thing I might differ on. When I had a secret sin, it was BECAUSE of my growing relationship with God that I finally had the strength and power and perspective to let it go. The two did co-exist together for awhile.
 
crossnote

crossnote

Senior Member
#5
Nov 24, 2012
30,706
3,650
113
#5
JesusLives said:
I would say try it and see if God does not rush to your aid and help you with this double mindedness that you are speaking of..
Click to expand...
I thought that's what the OP is trying to avoid.
 
1

1still_waters

Guest
#6
#6
Maybe I'm splitting a hair. Please be careful of viewing this as only requiring a mere rearrangement in psychological thoughts.
Relying on that puts trust in flesh, and becomes a work of the flesh.

This has to continue to rely on Gospel, Jesus, faith, grace, Spirit, as the springboard for changing thought.

Again, I may be paranoid on this, and I may be splitting hairs.
 
F

FaithfulLadybug

Guest
#7
#7
Hi,

Not sure if this'll be worth anything to anyone or not, but I'll share my own experience...

I was in my late teens when this was pointed out to me. Since, at that time, I had nobody to turn to, nobody to discuss anything with, I came up with my own little idea, which has worked for me, even today.

First allow me to preface... personally I believe in approaching God with a childlike heart - not a bargaining heart (or fleesing God). But a heart that is like a most beloved child towards his/her most Beloved Father. Then, my own desire to avoid doublemindedness led me to do the following...

Loving God, and knowing that He is pleased with me, as his child, when I do what He wants (therefore Glorifying Him through my actions and thoughts), I looked at it that way. It's that simple to me.

I kind of thought back to the beginning. When God created Adam and Eve. He liked to convene with them, sit and talk with them daily in the afternoons. God wanted to share himself, I believe that is His reason for creating humanity (as love wants to share themselves). When I thought about that I realized that that's exactly what love does... share ones self. I mean don't 'we' like to share ourselves with those that we love. Don't 'we' want those that we care about (and those who care about us), to get to know us better? To get close to us by learning about us? I know this might sound very simplified, but I think that God wants that from us. He wants us close in that way. He loves us and therefore wants us to WANT to know Him (ergo Bible studies and meditating on God), so that we can get closer and closer.

So then what better way to do that, and by doing that to please Him... to make Him happy.. but to do as He wants. And besides, it's the best for us anyway... so it's a built in fringe benefit. So it's a win, win situation, no? I mean God wants us happy. He put such wonderful things in this world for us to enjoy. That shows me that He wants us happy. He didn't creat some ugly, uncomfortable world, it's a world full of beauty and wonderful things and great variety so that we never even get bored. So of course He wants us happy. So then, if He built in a 'given' fringe benefit, then I think we should rejoice in it and enjoy it like a gift from father to child. Because doesn't a parent rejoice when a given gift is enjoyed by His child?

Now naturally it's not always easy to do what God wants. And naturally our own little selfish wants and desires rear their heads and shout at us (because well, we ARE human). But if I want to please Him, then even when it's hard I HAVE to do it. No? There IS no choice. Since the goal is to please and make God happy, so then there's only that one path. Do as He wants.

If we can say 'no' to ourselves with something as inconsequential as a cookie, when on a diet, then why can't we say no to ourselves to curb bad behavior (sin) to make our Beloved Father happy?

So for the love of God I do. It's that simple to me. I want to make God happy. Doesn't matter what 'i' want to do (in regards to acting against His word). I'm wise enough to know that He knows what's best for me, better than I do. He is my father, I am his child, and I want to put a smile on His face. I want Him happy. (He has enough children that sadden His heart.) And I know He wants me happy. To give to me, and for me to have everything good. Even when paths are hard or difficult, sad or gut-wrenching... still I TOTALLY believe it's for good and there's a reason. I might not know the reason, but there IS one and I trust!

He even wants so much good for me... to such a degree that He won't even let my own little stupidities (sins) keep me from Him/from Heaven, and has sent me salvation. Praise Our Lord Jesus Christ!

And that's it. :)

God Bless!
 
Blain

Blain

The Word Weaver
#8
Aug 28, 2012
19,215
2,551
113
#8
thecreationtutor said:
So, I am into posts that help me to change, not so much proving my point, or having to be right - Laura-Charlotte made me post again

So As I have been posting about thinking differently, the series I have been watching and gleaning from, the last installment was on Getting rid of Double-mindedness

That's when you want 2 things that cannot coexist

good marriage - selfishness
secret sin - a growing relationship with God


For me it is

Relationships - Negative thinking

Purity - not having pure motives

I say purity - yes I want to keep my self pure, avoid sexual immorality, but I also want to have the right motives for why I want to change.

For a long time I was seeking change for a woman, and I found that no matter how I changed, it was never good enough
Sure God is faithful, and those are changes that need to happen, but why am I doing them? Is it for Jesus' Glory or my own Glory?

This one is hard: Am I fleecing God where if I change, He will give me what I really want?

If we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.... My motive should be to honor Christ, to show thanksgiving for what He has done for me, and because sin is death.

Doesn't Double-mindedness make you unstable in all your ways as James says?

So it doesn't' just effect one area of your life but others as well -


I am trying to learn, it has to be for God's glory first, then the good of people - Love God, Love people right?
Click to expand...
I tend to think along the same lines. For instance I want to be strong in the Lord but I say to myself why do I seek to be strong? If it was for any self gain it would be better that I not even seek it so I told God if I was to be strong it could only be for him and for others and only out of a deep love for both God and them.
In my prayers I tend to say this a lot because I know he wants me to become stronger but I refuse to be strong or seek to be strong for the wrong reasons.

In order to know I desire things for the right reasons I must constantly put myself last before God and all others regardless of what it is or when it is, there is a certain joy in knowing you are seeking something or doing something completely for the sake and love of God and others
 
O

oldthennew

Guest
#9
#9
when we experience our first understanding of Christ in our hearts,
the feelings that this creates are that the only destiny we truly have
is with Him and what can we do to get as close to Him as we can.

it's like becoming a brand new baby and taking a brand new step in
a brand new direction - the awesomeness of this does get over-whelming
at times.

maintaining our zealousness is a challenge, and the levels do fluctuate constantly,
according to the circumstances of life.

when we see ourselves tipping over with our new-found loves, we can only rejoice
and share what we have been given so lovingly from our Father.
 
J

justamanda

Guest
#10
#10
This speaks strongly to me. unfortunately we do it without realising it. we want good things but we sew with selfishness
 
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