Split Personality

It sure is easy to pile on the hypocrites, isn't it? Especially those self-righteous, supposedly-pious, super judgmental so-called Christians who dare to rail against what they think is wrong, all the while indulging in their own sins of pride or lust or gluttony.

It's so easy to feel superior, isn't it? To look on the hypocrite with something like a mix of pity and disgust and feel so good about our own piety? To feel, perhaps, pride?

Of course, even Paul had trouble with hypocrisy. "I do not understand what I do," he says in Romans 7:15. "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

Another word for this in Scripture is double-mindedness. Like somebody with multiple personalities, we have two natures. One is an old, sinful nature. The other is the New Creation in Christ. These two selves can be at war with one another, even while the Spirit is at work in us, renewing our minds. 

The trouble with double-mindedness is that we miss out on the full blessing of God.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:2-8)

Peter was double-minded when he stepped out of the boat to join Jesus on the stormy sea. Part of him saw Jesus walking on water, and knew that, in Christ's strength, he could do the same. The other part saw the waves and felt the wind. When we're double-minded, the human side wins.

Until we cry out to God and again give Him our whole selves -- just as Peter was drowning until the hand of Christ grasped his own.

When our eyes are on the world, we are double-minded. Split in our allegiances. When our eyes are on Christ, however, we allow renewal by he Spirit, and we become single-minded in purpose. Let the old, sinful self die. Don't feed it. Don't allow it any footing by taking your eyes off Jesus. Keep your eyes on the Savior, and your mind on what He has in store for you.