'A doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave.'

Jas 1:6 TLB

The Bible says, 'A doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave... driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds' (See Jas 1:6-8 TLB). This Scripture applies specifically to asking God for wisdom, then rationalizing and vacillating when He gives you an answer. But the same principle applies to all of life. Have you ever seen anything more fickle than a wave? The wind that takes it one direction today, takes it in an entirely different one tomorrow. 'How does this apply to me?' you ask: (1) If you've grown up in a family where every decision was made for you. (2) If you spent your life around people who made reckless decisions that left you feeling 'it's too easy to get it wrong and too hard to get it right.' (3) If the bad decisions you've made in the past have sabotaged your confidence - then today's devotion is just for you! James makes the point that none of us learn to hear from God without making mistakes. So don't be hard on yourself. Learn from your mistakes, correct the ones you can, and continue being decisive. Don't fall back into a pattern of indecision because you got it wrong a few times. Often you'll only know that you've done the right thing - when you do it! Devote a reasonable amount of time to waiting on God, and when necessary seek the counsel of others. But don't be afraid to act; make a decision and follow through with it. In other words, 'just do it!'