December 1, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

I like to fish and go as often as I can. However, I haven’t been on the water in quite a while. I think I hear the fish calling my name; they want me to come out and play. I’ve been fortunate to fish all over Texas, but my favorite place to fish is on Lake Texoma. For many years now, I have only fished this lake. Those Texoma stripers are fun to chase around the lake. In the past I’ve fished for largemouth bass, sand bass, crappie, catfish, trout, saltwater species of all kind, and even perch, but those big, long, heavy stripers are my kind of fish. They are fun to catch, good to eat, and mostly predictable (they will be wherever I am not). They know what the bottom of my boat looks like and stay away from it like a preacher stays away from the dancehall.

Lake Texoma is a very large body of water, covering over 97,000 acres on the Red River between Oklahoma and Texas. Both states share the lake and both have differing laws concerning the various aspects of fishing thereon (go figure). There is one part of the lake, Preston Point on the Texas side, and Soldier Creek on the Oklahoma side that is very large. This portion of the lake can become quite rough in windy conditions. It is affectionately called Texocean. My boat is a deep water boat meaning it can handle the big waves that the lake is famous for. More than once I have been caught a long way from the boat ramp with waves that have made some on my boat seasick. Anyone who has spent much time boating knows that rough water is nothing to take lightly.

Some time ago I was alone on my boat; it was a Monday, bad weather rolled in quickly. I was having unusual success in catching some really big stripers and against all that I knew that I should have done, I did none of it. I continued fishing. It was summer, the temperature was well into the nineties and the rain really didn’t feel too bad. I hooked a good fish that seemed to understand that I could not do much in the way of standing up because of the waves. He made two circles around the lower unit of my motor. I could not start the engine, the wind was stronger than my trolling motor, and my boat was about to be thrown upon some jagged rocks. Trouble was coming faster than I could deal with. I decided to cut my line, let the fish go, and get out of Dodge.

However I caught a glimpse of that magnificent creature. It was one for the wall (a trophy), pride came upon pride. I thought if I could get that fish into the boat in the next few moments then I could start the boat and get to safety. I tried to stand up, fell, tried to grab the fishing line and untangle it from the motor, failed, even tried to reach the splashing fish while leaning over the back of the boat, failed at that too. No matter what I did, I failed. So I decided to cut the line; I needed the cutters (twenty pound test is not easily broken with bare hands), they were by the steering wheel console. Tried to walk to the front of the boat, fell, crawled to the front of the boat, obtained the cutters and promptly dropped them over the side of the boat. Had to get the knife in the glove box, well, you can imagine from here. Nothing went right, and I only escaped the rocks by a hair’s breadth, and lost the fish.

I was double minded. To be safe I should have found shelter at the first sign of trouble, but I wanted to boat that fish. I was unstable in everything I tried to do because I was double minded about what to do. All the while I thought of this verse, and I have been waiting to relate this illustration to you concerning this verse. I hope you enjoyed reading about it, for in all honesty I cannot say I enjoyed living it.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William Howe