The book of James begins with the encouragement to consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that this testing of our faith produces endurance, and if we will let endurance have its perfect result, we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing...

BUT (next verse- James 1:4) if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. This statement is written as an imperative which means that it is actually a command: if you lack wisdom, you MUST ask of God.   Strangely enough we need that command, don’t we? When we need wisdom, need to make a big decision, isn’t our temptation to run to everyone else first and obtain everyone else’s thoughts, which can only make our thought process even more confusing.

Where do we go when we need wisdom into His Word? Do we run first to the Author of the Word or to the many other authors of many other books to gain their wisdom? A command: ask of God! The definition of the word used here of wisdom is “in respect to divine things, wisdom, knowledge, insight, deep understanding, represented everywhere as a divine gift, and including the idea of practical application”₁  (we must then obey the wisdom that we are given- apply it!).

 “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8

We are told here in God’s Word to ask for wisdom without any doubting. The Greek word for doubt (diakrino) is made up of a word that means separation and another that means to distinguish, decide, judge. It means to separate throughout, completely, to separate oneself from, to contend with, to be in strife with oneself, i.e., to doubt, hesitate, waver.

Then we are told that the one who doubts (hesitates, wavers) is a double-minded man, “a man of two minds- hesitating, dubious, irresolute”₂, “a doubter, waverer”₁, “a soul divided between faith and the world”₃.

The same word is used in James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  “Such a person suffers from divided loyalties. On the one hand, he wishes to maintain a religious confession and desires the presence of God in his life; on the other hand, he loves the ways of the world and prefers to live according to its mores and ethics.”₁That man who doubts ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways! Are we living with a hesitating, wavering, divided soul today?  Are we struggling between what we know God's Word says to be true and what our eyes see; are we living this day divided between faith and what the world holds forth as truth?  Oh, we do not want to be unstable in all our ways!  Choose now whom you will serve.

Oh Lord, I confess that I have been a doubting, hesitating child- that I waver- that I suffer from divided loyalties- that I would say, and truly believe, that my heart’s desire is Your presence in my life and to walk in holiness, but to be completely honest with myself (You already know this), as I hesitate to obey You, when I look at man and the world and let fear set in and want to take the comfortable way out, want to stay in my comfort zone and care more about what the world thinks, when I just decide that I want to go my own way and do my own thing, then I am preferring to live according to this world.

I confess that I am double-minded which makes me unstable in all my ways! Oh Lord, help me. I confess that I ask and hear, and then I waver, hesitate; doubt (‘hath God really said?’). I turn from this sin. Lord I do not want to be unstable; make me firm and help me to step forward in faith.

“Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you hesitate (limp on the two divided opinions) between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but it Baal, follow him.’ But the people did not answer him a word.” 1 Kings 18:21

Oh, let us not keep silent but answer and commit to follow Him fully without hesitancy.

_{1 Zodhiates. The Complete Word Study Dictionary 2 The Amplified Bible 3 Rogers and Rogers Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament}