Hey everyone, I'm Dr. Allison. Today's scripture offers us a wiser way of being human as we step into the day.

Today's scripture is so practical, and it speaks directly to one of the most exhausting experiences of being human, not knowing what to do,

feeling pulled in different directions, second-guessing

yourself, turning the same decision over and over in your mind. So many of us know what it feels like

to be stuck, hovering between options, wanting clarity, but not quite able to land. And this passage

offers a really compassionate lens on why this happens. If you've ever spent weeks

agonizing over decision, spinning between options, polling, everyone you know, and still feeling

paralyzed, this episode is for you, because James has something to say about what's actually

happening underneath in decision, and it's not always what we think. Today's scripture is

James 1, 5 through 8.

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.

At first past, this scripture can actually invoke anxiety. James says, if you lack wisdom,

ask God. You must believe and not doubt. You can almost feel the tension rises as you try to will yourself to have the belief you need so that you can get the answers you want. And I want to slow that down for a moment because for most of us, that doesn't really feel like relief. If anything, it can feel frustrating because you've tried to ask. You've prayed, you've thought about it, you thought you had faith, you've tried to listen, and you're still not sure what to do, and that can leave you feeling even more stuck, like maybe you're missing something or doing something wrong, or just not hearing God the way you feel like you're supposed to. And if you've ever been there, you know how quickly that kind of uncertainty can turn into self-doubt. You stop trusting your own judgment. You

start replaying the options even more. You wonder whether your confusion is a sign that you're

doing something wrong. And pretty soon the decision itself is no longer the only burden. Now you're

also carrying shame. But notice what James actually emphasizes here. He begins with the character

of God. A God who gives generously, a God who

does not find fault with you for asking. And this is so important because James is also saying

something hard that the divided person should not expect to receive. And I want to unpack that

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