A double-minded person is unstable in all his ways and cannot gain success with God because he cannot make a decision. Double-mindedness is a symptom of perfectionism, personal ambition, fear, treachery, deception, romanticism, or some other motivation of the self-seeking human personality.

Suggestion is a powerful tool of those who would manipulate us. The Christian who is suggestible cannot go straight ahead in God's will because he is open to all voices. Do you recall the prophet who was led into disobedience by the suggestion of an older prophet (I Kings, Chapter 13)?

It is well we "salute no man by the way," so to speak, but go about our business in the Lord without being led astray by the suggestions of others.

We are not recommending that we refuse to heed the advice and counsel of other Christians or of the elders of the church, because the Lord often will guide us by means of the exhortations of the godly. Rather, we are speaking of being led off course by fleshly suggestions or by spirits and not bringing each decision we make into careful prayer before the Lord.

It is impossible to be an ambassador of Christ if we are given to man-pleasing. Jesus never made an effort to "sell" the Gospel or to please His listeners. "The fear of man brings a snare." If we fear the faces of "clay" in front of us we will never be free to deliver the whole counsel of God.

We must prepare the Divine food and make it palatable so the "sheep" will eat. But we are never to hold back what the Holy Spirit is speaking in order to gain the approval and support of our listeners.

Self-pity or over-harsh criticism of ourselves are not pleasing to the Lord and have no place in the Kingdom of God. On many occasions the servant of the Lord finds that as he goes forward he is forced to fall back in frustration. One method of coping with repeated disappointments is to curse one's day, to resolve to destroy one's environment and oneself. It is a form of suicide.

People of little conscience or integrity may never know the pain experienced by the diligent saint as he seeks to please God—sometimes to the borders of sanity. It seems God is saying no to every desire.

If we are not careful we may find we are filled with rage and self-pity, a desire for self-destruction. God may bring us to the edge of our ability to cope before He finally gives us a glimpse of the light and glory toward which we are making our way.

Great strength, the strength of Israel, comes from the years of denial. Fruitfulness and dominion come from the years of fulfillment. Joseph was refined during his years in prison. Release brought fruitfulness and dominion.

We cannot serve God perfectly while we are subject to presumption, or personal ambition, or disobedience, or double-mindedness, or suggestibility, or man-pleasing, or self-pity. Christ is able to correct these flaws in our will until our will begins to correspond to the will of God.

To be continued.