You have just spent hours walking through the desert. You need water desperately when you come across a broken down shack. Inside you find a water pump and a jar of water. On the lid of the jar you read “This pump give sweet cool water from the well below. To get it to work you have to prime the pump with the water from the jar.” What do you do? Do you obey the message from someone whom you have never met? Or do you satisfy your thirst with the water in the jar?
Faith often is the difference between wisdom and doubt. In this passage James calls on you to seek the perfect wisdom that comes from God.

Why Me?
Trials often cause us confusion and doubt. When you can see a reason or purpose it is much easier to handle. But James is talking to us about many trials, most of which will not have an obvious reason for it to happen. “Why Me?” is a common thought when things happen to us that we don’t understand.
Sometimes this is a selfish question as in “Why Me? Why not Tony or Gareth or Steve? Why Me?” Our sinful nature kicks in to say “I don’t deserve this to happen to me?” The truth is that although you may be a forgiven sinner, you are not receiving all the troubles that you deserve.
However, sometime you and I ask the question “Why Me?” not as a complaint but as a faith question asking God “Why Me, what am I to learn from this?” Sometimes our trials come with such bewildering speed that our mind can’t cope with it. Take Job for example, in one day he lost all 10 of his children, all his flocks and herds and all his wealth. Then he loses his health and the support of his wife. He has some friends who come and sit in silence with him for 7 days before they try to “comfort” him. Young people take note, often when someone is in extreme pain or sorrow, they don’t need words of comfort, they need your comforting presence instead.
It is when Job’s friends open their mouths to give Job the benefit of their “wisdom” that they go wrong. As Job appeals to God to vindicate him you get the sense of Job struggling with thew question of “Why Me?”
Have you asked this question recently? Were you being sinfully selfish or genuinely wanting to know what God is teaching you?
Wisdom
There’s an old song that goes, “What the world needs now is love sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s too little of.” This world does need more love, even the Church needs more love and grace. However, love is not the only thing in short supply. We need truck-loads of wisdom also.
The Holy Spirit knows this to be true which is why the Bible has so much to say about wisdom. Whole sections of the Bible are called “Wisdom” Literature. The Psalmist tells us that, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” God is the source of all wisdom and truth.
In writing about trials, James knows that it is difficult if not almost impossible for us to see the lessons we are to learn without the wisdom of God. So if you are struggling with understanding, then you are to ask God for wisdom. James encourages you to pray, not protest, because prayer is the practical expression of our dependance on God. When you come to God in prayer you are acknowledging that He is your sovereign and that He is the source of your life. When Paul says to “pray without ceasing” part of what he has in mind is not constantly mumbling gibberish, but living each minute conscious of your dependance on God.
Why should we ask for wisdom from God? First of all because the bible tells us that it is God’s nature to give wisdom. James literally calls Him the giving God. When Solomon chose to ask for wisdom, God gave him wealth and fame as well. You don’t have to be a special person to receive answers to prayer, because God gives freely to all. The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers does not teach that you cannot ask for yourself.
Also it is God’s nature to give generously. The idea here is not only that God gives heaps, but also His giving is the pure, wholesome expression of His goodness. God has no ulterior motives for His giving. He does not “bribe” us with His giving, He just gives generously.
God gives graciously. God gives without finding fault. He doesn’t give us a lecture about our past failures before He give His help.
God promises to give wisdom that you and I can possess. James assures us that if you ask, then wisdom will be given to you. Ask with confidence because it is God’s nature to give generously and graciously.
Ask in Faith
Doubt is common to us because there is so much that we don’t know. When we watch the weather forecast on the TV we are inclined to have a measure of doubt about it. Why is this? It is because it is an educated guess not a certified fact.
Having doubts is not wrong in of itself. Thomas was not condemned because of his doubts. Neither was the man whose son was demon possessed told Jesus, “I believe, help me in my unbelief.” The Holy Spirit speaking about Jesus says, “A bruised reed He will not break, a smouldering flax He will not quench.” Many Christians are troubled with doubts and questions about the faith. Having such doubts is part of our humility, it is part of our knowing that we don’t know everything. So having doubts is not always sinful.
But if it is sinful sometimes, what kind of doubts are sinful? Some doubts are a sign of weak or immature faith, but there is a doubt to is the result of unbelief. It is this doubt that James is attacking in this passage. James compares people with such doubts to a wave driven and tossed by the wind. Just like the wave at the mercy of the wind and it’s power, so doubters become victims not winners in the trials of life.
A double-minded man is one who prays saying the words but not expecting the prayer to be answered. He is just going through the form but his trust is not in the goodness and power of God. When trials come such a person’s focus is upon themselves. Such a person will have troubles in all areas of their spiritual life. They will exhibit poor discipleship in many areas, be “restless” unable to be settled in mind or spirit. Often they are found running after the latest fad or doctrine. They have little peace of mind always needing to find something to do, being tossed around, trying to keep busy, anything to avoid facing the stillness that Christ brings us.
The solution to double-mindedness is simple, a single-minded loyalty to Christ and His kingdom. What is needed is an unreserved trust in God and His goodness. If James is describing you then rejoice because all you need to do is repent and make it your agenda to be fully focused on Jesus Christ.