God’s Official Statement on ‘Waffling’

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1.6-8


Last week we considered the universal deficiency of every believer in the area of wisdom. Without the proper perspective, no believer can find joy in the trials of life. You and I, as believers, must recognize God’s loving hand in every difficulty, molding us into the image of His Son. Trials are instrumental in bringing us to spiritual maturity. But we need wisdom, that is, God’s perspective on trials, if we are to endure them joyfully and allow them to produce the intended effect, namely, Christ-likeness. This need for wisdom is one God promises to meet, with only one condition—no doubting!


You need wisdom. God promises to provide it to you if you ask. There is only one catch—ask with confidence that He will provide the wisdom you need. If there is any element of doubt, you ought not expect that you will receive anything from the Lord. The term James uses for doubting implies vacillating, wavering between two opinions. In the world of politics, we say “waffling.”


God first likens the one who doubts, the waffler, to a wave in the ocean, tossed to and fro by the wind. Have you ever tried to catch a wave while bodysurfing? Where does the wave begin, where will it peak, and where is it going? There are few things more unpredictable than a wave. The waffler is also likened to a staggering drunk, unpredictably swerving about and bumping into things. If we fail to allow God to grant us a perspective on the difficulties we face, we will be driven and tossed about by every wind of philosophy or public opinion. We will be as unstable and unreliable to those who depend on us as a drunk staggering through the city streets.


As a state leader, if you take your eye off of God through attitudes of unbelief, you are doomed to waffle. Yet, if you see every circumstance and decision with an eye toward God’s overarching purpose—that Christ be formed in you, you will find His abundant provision of wisdom and the joy He brings in the midst of difficult times. Wisdom or waffling...which characterizes you right now? Will you purpose to consider God’s overarching purpose for your life in relation to every difficulty, every circumstance, and every decision you face in the days ahead?