Jonah on the Run

I just finished writing this. It spoke so much to me that I had to get it out. May God bless you today in accordance with His will.

Fleeing from God

Jonah was a recognized prophet from God. He’s mentioned in 2 Kings 14 before the destruction of the northern kingdom. As we walk through the book over the next few devotionals, we’ll see how quickly his messages are taken seriously, even by the Gentile Assyrians.

But, today, let’s see how this man of God responds to the call of God: by running away. Even this prophet disobeys. How can that be?

Don’t we tell ourselves, “if I could figure out what God wanted, I would do it immediately”? Perhaps I’m alone in that. But if you’re like me, we’ve had moments where we carried the zeal to do God’s bidding, if only we knew what that was. We swear to ourselves that we will pursue His will at all costs.

Yet, here we see a man of God, known for his prophetic abilities, doing the opposite. He’s running away because he doesn’t like what God has in store.

Perhaps, we’re just like Jonah.

Is it that hard to discern what God wants from us?

We get caught up in the American ideal of being selected individually for a greater purpose. We expect God to have these master plans for our lives so that we may save thousands of people or start a sweeping movement. (By the way, if you haven’t seen the movie "Jesus Revolution,” I highly recommend it. Christian media is really becoming exceptionally well-produced.)

When we aren’t the next social media influencer, the next millionaire, or the next mega-church preacher, we think that we are missing our calling.

Work for God, not yourself

Think of the 120 people in the Upper Room on the day of Pentecost; how many names are recorded? Or the women who visited Jesus’ tomb immediately after His resurrection; who do we know? How about the church fathers in Galatia, Ephesus, and Antioch… so many people who lived and died for the faith, without which we may not even be believers? Think about your great-grandfather’s pastor (if he attended church).

Our job is to harvest the lost, not gather attention. Our call is to serve Him in all that we do.

Perhaps, I’m the only intended recipient of today’s message. I’ve been caught up in building this newsletter, debating which tools to use. I’ve wasted hours understanding CMSs and the pros/cons of growth tools. I have been consumed by my own name. I confess this to the Lord and before you.

All that matters is the Gospel. Yes, He intends to bless us with the desires of our hearts, but if our desires supplant His place in us, He knows those dreams are not the best thing for us. He is our best thing. He is our portion. He is our eternal gift of grace.

Jonah, as we’ll see, disobeyed God because he wanted the Assyrians to pay for their heathenism and their bloodshed. They weren’t even God’s elected people! Why should they have the slightest chance of rescue and restoration?! They deserve their punishment!

Sounds an awful lot like the older brother in Luke 15.

Sounds a lot like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.

Sounds a lot like all the Jews during the Roman occupation.

Are we willing to accept the responsibility for completing the things we don’t want to do? Are we ready to love Him above all things, so much that we’ll cheerfully do the mundane? Can we let go of our vengeance, resentment, self-conceit, or pride to accomplish His will?

Accept the challenge.

A prayer

“Lord, rip out our hearts of self-interest and instead replace it with one which glorifies you above all. Forgive us of our selfish ambitions; we need You to remove it from us. By the power of Your Holy name, we bind the thoughts and spirits that distract us from You and Your call. We cast those away from us, our families, and our coworkers. Take us back to our first love in You. It is our heart’s truest desire. Amen”

You are what you read, so why not read some more Christian influences for your business? Check out my new friend, Erick Vargas, and his newsletter.