Di Bassinga Diaries: Commitment

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8)

The book of James is a letter written to isolated Christians (James 1:1), those of his time who were being separated and persecuted by the powers at be. It hit me this morning that it's in times where I feel isolated that James speaks the loudest to me. It's a book written to people whose faith is being tested to a great measure. For me, it's in a season of transition. Away from just about everything that I was used to, I'm finding and building a new normal. It hasn't been sunshine and rainbows.

Earlier in the letter, James tells us to look ahead at the end of our trials and to find joy in that. Sometimes that doesn't work, though. Sometimes looking ahead feels like the problem. Even knowing that the end will be good, there may still be a need for something actionable. So James says that we should ask for wisdom, but he gives specifics. "Ask in faith, without doubt." I read that and first thought, doubt is my problem here. James essentially says that someone who doubts is standing on unstable ground, they're double-minded, unable to properly approach the Lord. It'd be pretty important to be able to talk to God in a time like this, though, so what do we do? We look backwards.

"I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds." (Psalm 77:11-12)

It seems that James is suggesting that God won't grant wisdom to those who aren't committed to Him, committed to the idea that He's good. Even though I've committed my life to God, I know that I'm not perfect in my devotion to Him; and, candidly, it's often a lack of trust or faith that God will actually hear my prayers or that I'll find anything specifically applicable to me in a moment, sometimes it's a lack of trust in the statement "God loves you," and other times it's a fear of being judged by God or those I'd reach out to. What's helped when I start to lose trust in my foundation is remembering all that it's built on.

If nothing else, Jesus Christ lived a perfect life. The Son of God, God in the flesh, came to earth to take on the punishment for my sin so that I could have a relationship with the Father. When I first came to Christ, I was in the midst of a "self-improvement" journey, assimilating aspects of different philosophies to try and someday become "a good, proper man." As I explored the Word in discipleship, I eventually came to the realization that Jesus is that perfect man I was chasing. The reminder is good for me even now.

I don't know what you're walking through right now–it could be loneliness, relationship or family matters, struggles with mental health, a difficult job, or any number of things–but I know that God is good. He's willing to walk us through our circumstances, to help us into maturity, but He requires our commitment. The good news is that He's worthy of our commitment, and He's got lifetimes of proof to give us confidence in giving it to Him. If you feel disoriented moving forward, it's okay to take a moment to look back and remind yourself of who God is.

I recommend journaling for this very purpose. I've been journaling fairly consistently since my freshman year of college–I've got a stack of those old journals in my living room. The beauty in a habit like this is that I get to look back at my own journey with God, to the things that have gotten me here. I get to remember the times in the past where things seemed hopeless and where God proved Himself to be faithful. Whether or not you have journals to look back on, though, each of us has access to centuries of God's faithfulness through the Word.

Read your Bible, ask God to read it to you and watch Him reveal Himself. Read with a friend or a mentor, and ask them how God has been faithful to them. Do whatever it takes to remind yourself of the God you commited your life to, and make a habit of recommitting daily. Doing so is a great way to reassure yourself of what your foundation is built of. It pulls us back into a "single mind," one centered on Christ and His own commitment to us.

Be blessed.