Having given a
little bit of background as to the factors that were at work in the story of
Jonah, here are two warnings and pitfalls that I have found to be especially
relevant to missionaries.
1. Sometimes as
missionaries, it can be easy to love “plants” (comfort, status quo) more than
people. May God give us eyes to see His
purpose in His mission… and may He also fill us with compassion for people. I have heard the phrase “We are meant to love
people and use things, not use people and love things.” That is so true! Jonah is a reminder of how quickly we can
fall into that selfish, unloving cycle.
May God in His grace spare us from thinking like that!
2. It is
possible to make an orthodox confession, and yet still be running from
God. When the sailors asked Jonah about
the storm, who he was and who His god was, Jonah replied, “I am a Hebrew and I
worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.” (Jonah
1:9) He also gives a remarkable
testimony in chapter 4, in the midst of actually complaining to God about His
character: “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger
and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” (Jonah 4:2)
For all of these truths that Jonah possessed, though, it appears that
deep down, He didn’t understand God. May
God spare us from saying all the right things, and then turning around and
acting rebelliously!
Concluding Thoughts and Challenges: Are you running from God in his call on your
life? He will have His way. As we have seen in Jonah, God will be
glorified, whether through our obedience or disobedience, our rise or
fall. This story should make us
recognize God’s love and compassion that is way beyond what we extend to others
or even understand. May God shape us
more into His character as we respond to His call on our lives! May we see others as He sees them.
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