James 1:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: 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.

NASB: But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

CSB: But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

NLT: But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

KJV: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

NKJV: 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.

In the previous verse, James revealed an amazing promise. The God who created the universe will give wisdom to all who ask Him for it. He doesn't give it based on our worthiness, but based only on our request. Why? As James made clear in verses 2 through 4, God wants His children to trust Him, and He is ready to reward evidence of our trust in Him. One such evidence is asking Him for wisdom when we don't know what to do.

But there is a condition attached to this promise: We must believe and not doubt. In other words, God wants us to come to Him convinced both that He is the one true source of wisdom, and that the wisdom He gives is trustworthy. He wants us to be ready to act on it. The person who doubts Gods' wisdom or willingness to give it is unlikely to accept what God gives him. He she will consult other sources, looking for a second opinion, spiritually speaking. In James' day, those sources may have included false idols. Our modern day has its own share of worthless sources for wisdom: false teachers, pop culture, celebrities, and so forth.

The person who doubts God's wisdom, James writes, is like a wave in a wind storm. Who knows where he will end up? He's at the mercy of whichever breeze happens to blow the strongest in that moment.

James 1:2–18 begins with a challenging command for Christians. We are to classify hard things in their lives as ''joyful,'' because those ordeals help us develop a deeper trust in God. Christians who trust God also seek wisdom from Him—and not from ungodly sources. We continue to trust Him through difficult experiences, in part, to receive the crown of life promised to those who don't stop. We don't blame Him for our desire to sin, but we do credit Him for every good thing in our lives.

How important is it for Christians to trust God? It's so important, James writes, that we should call our worst moments joyful things, because trials help us trust God more. People who trust God ask Him for wisdom—and then take what He gives. People who trust God make a bigger deal about their rewards in the next life than their wealth in this one. People who trust God don't blame Him for their desire to sin; they give Him credit for all that is good in their lives. They look into His Word, and they act on what they see there.

This first chapter in the book of James sets the course for the rest of his letter to Christians worldwide. God wants us to trust Him more, and more deeply, as we learn more of Him. This is so important to God that He calls on us to find joy, even in hard times, because hardship helps us trust God more. Those who really trust God will ask Him for wisdom, will be excited about their status in eternity, will recognize Him as the source of all good in their lives, and will work to act on what they find in His Word.

The book of James is about specifically understanding what saving faith looks like. How does faith in Christ reveal itself in a believer's life? What choices does real trust in God lead us to make? Those are the questions James answers. Most scholars believe the writer was Jesus' half-brother, a son born to Joseph and Mary after Jesus' birth. James may not have come to believe Jesus was the Messiah until after the resurrection. Eventually, though, he became one of the leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem. This is possibly the earliest-written of all the New Testament books, around AD 40–50. James addresses his letter to Jewish Christians scattered around the known world.