(Facing God’s Calling Upon Your Life)
Most everyone is familiar with the story of Jonah in the Bible. He even has his own book in the Old Testament named after him. He was made famous for running away from God, getting swallowed by a big fish, then spewed out, so he could be obedient to God and go preach to Nineveh. Jonah sometimes gets the bad rap because he didn’t really want to do what God asked, was disobedient, and had a bad attitude. We, Sunday School teachers, shake our fingers at him, and say, ‘tsk tsk. See what happens when you don’t do what God has called you to do?’ Yet, how many times does God ask us to do much smaller, easier, insignificant things, and we turn away as if we didn’t hear Him ask?
I confess, I am a Jonah. Everything God has ever asked me to do, I’ve either said ‘no way! You’ve got the WRONG person!’ or “Not now. I’m not ready!’ or “That’s impossible. It can’t be done.â€Â And thankfully, God hasn’t given up on me yet. My Heavenly Father pursues me, just like He did Jonah. Oh, there’s no giant fish to swallow me up to teach me a lesson. That’s not going to happen when I avoid water and boats like the plague. No, God pursues me in other ways. One major tactic that He uses on me, is that He takes away my peace. I just never have a peace about something, until I cave in and do it His way. Sometimes, He orchestrates the scene, until it is so obvious what I am supposed to do, I realize it would be disobedient of me to NOT follow His will. Then I do it, only because I have to. My attitude isn’t always the best. Who am I kidding? Have you heard of the saying, “dragging their feet†when someone is asked to do something that they don’t want to do? Well, that phrase can sometimes apply to me. I can usually have a cazillion excuses ready, of why I am hesitating or not giving it my all.
Sometimes, it’s not really that obvious what God wants me to do, and some might think that’s a good time to wait. When does God want you to wait on Him, and when does He want you to take a step of faith and get out of the boat, trusting Him ahead of time in a situation? It can be different in every situation. Only when you’re finely in tune with God’s Spirit will one really be able to answer that question. (Let me refer you to Romans 12:2 if this is something you struggle with). But, let me confess a little more while I’m on a roll. I mean, why not? I doubt if you’ll want to stop me. Maybe you’re shaking your head, saying “that’s me, too.â€Â You see, I’m not a big risk taker. I don’t like change. I don’t really enjoy meeting new people. People don’t believe I’m ‘shy’ but I am. I am not bold. Or confident. Or looking to be an example for others. Here’s a little secret of mine: I carry a book everywhere I go, so if I get stuck in some sort of awkward social situation that I’d rather not be in, I can pull my book out, stick my nose in it, and feel a little more comfortable. See? It’s tough being me! Some days, I’d just rather go climb in a hole and live my life alone. But, God would be terribly disappointed in me, wouldn’t He, if that’s the life I chose to live for Him?
God has plans for me, just like He does you. He has a calling on my life, just like He does on yours, and just like He did on Jonah’s. Sometimes, we think we must be ‘called’ to become a ‘minister,’ but my belief is, that we are all called to be one in our little corner of the world that God has placed us in. We are all called to live out and share the Gospel of the Kingdom and Jesus Christ with those around us. This responsibility isn’t just saved for the person in your midst called “Pastor†or “Reverend.â€Â And that’s the “Great Commission†that God will use to pull us out of our comfort zones; Put us into new situations; Make us meet new people; Open our mouths and share something, when we’d rather stay silent; or when we’re cursed with shyness. Yes, God will definitely force us out of our comfort zone, if we are really listening and obeying the voice and the calling of God in our lives. And that’s when we most feel like running, like Jonah did.
The beautiful thing about the story of Jonah that I like the best, is the amount of time God invested in Jonah, pursuing him, listening to his complaining (doesn’t David encourage us to do so in Psalm 142:2? “I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before him.â€), and giving him a second chance. Despite Jonah’s unwillingness to jump into His calling the first time, God still guided him, protected him, loved him, and understood him. He used Jonah to spread His word, to be His hands and feet for Him. Jonah wasn’t perfect, but obedient. Okay, maybe he was a little slow in his obedience, and had a huge chip on his shoulder, but God used him nevertheless, and God still loves and uses us, too. Even when we aren’t quite the top of the litter, or the best cookie in the dozen. The story of Jonah helps us to face up to our calling. It encourages us that we might not be jumping up and down like Isaiah did in Isaiah 6, shouting, “Here I am! Send ME! Send ME!!†yet, most of us do desire to be obedient to what God is calling us to do, and we are willing to step out of our comfort zone to do so. Some of us just need a little push, is all.
Okay. Ready?…I’ll push you a little, if you give me a little boost… Okay….here we go……….!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t understand Jonah. It seemed to me that he knew that the people of Nineveh would repent and that God would spare the city.
I thought every prophet would be happy about people repenting and being saved.
I can understand that a man might not want to do whatever it is that God has called us to do. It’s a part of the effects of the fall of mankind, to have a nature that is against God.
Maybe the lesson is that we understand our nature a bit more, knowing that whatever reason we give to not do God’s will makes no sense at all. It’s just a part of the fall.
Like the gourd that rose up to comfort Jonah’s head from the heat, the city of Nineveh arose to repentence. I wonder if their revival lasted longer than the gourd. Never the less, God spared them
from that time of his judgment.
I wonder too, how the people of Nineveh will judge the prophet that helped to save them, in the day of judgment. This brings me to Jesus and what he said about judging others. I wonder if anyone from Nineveh will rise up on the day of judgment and say anything about Jonah. I suppose that will depend a lot upon Jonah
on that day. As Jonah judged the gourd, so it came back to Jonah.
Nice post Angela!
I’m right there with you. I constantly pray for God to guide me, lead me, and show me the path I need to be on in life in order to be the best servant possible for Him. But then I stray off the path here and there. Or I think I don’t see the path clearly. Or my worldly, sinful side blinds me from seeing the dang path that is there in front of my face! I am thankful that God is patient and merciful. And as long as I openly communicate in prayer to Him and am willing to do His will somehow, someway, – He’ll continue to keep nudging me back on the path He wants me on.