Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Which Way to Run - Nah, I'm Good

Last weekend, Lead Pastor Ben Snyder kicked off a new series called Nah, I’m Good in which he introduced the story of Jonah. If you’re like me, the first thing you think of when you hear Jonah is the Sunday School version about being swallowed by a whale. Pastor Ben began unpacking a much more in-depth version of the story, and as he did, I began to realize that sometimes, in some ways, I am not much different than Jonah.

Jonah was called by God to go to the city of Nineveh to tell the citizens they would face God’s wrath because of their wicked behavior. However, Jonah did not want any part of this task and ran and hid instead of trusting what God had planned for him.

As I thought deeper about Jonah’s story and revisited my own past, I could think of several times in my life when I also said, “Nah, I’m good.” Not just with God but with other life responsibilities too. Maybe you can relate.

There were a few times in school when the teacher was calling on us to answer questions, and I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been. I found myself sinking lower into my seat to hopefully avoid being called upon. Similarly, as an adult, I have searched for out-of-the-way “hiding spots” when I knew my boss had an extra job for me. Again, it was in an effort to hopefully avoid the extra workload.

Jonah took this behavior to an even greater extreme.

Jonah 1:3

But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

Pastor Ben explained how this only led to a downward spiral in Jonah’s life. Have you ever felt like you were in a downward spiral? I know I have. When I examine the reasons behind that, I invariably conclude that in my own way, I was running away and ignoring God’s calling in my life.

God’s plan for each of us on our spiritual journey is to Know Him, Find Freedom, Discover our Purpose, and Make a Difference. But when it comes to these steps, how many times have you said, “Nah, I’m good”? Since I stopped running from God and began answering his calls, I have found myself in a much happier state of mind.

When God calls you to do something, you have two choices: Be like Jonah and run away, or run to God and give him your best service. Which way will you run?

Questions:

How do you react when you hear God calling you to do something?

Does the thought of living out your purpose excite you or make you want to run away?

Next Steps:

Read the story of Jonah and consider when you have responded in similar fashion.

Tune in to the rest of this series to learn how to say “yes” when you really want to say “no.”

21 days of Prayer

Day 2 Focus – For Our Cities (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Dear God, today, we lift up each city in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. We come to you asking to see lives healed, people drawn to Christ, and your Spirit poured out in our communities. We humble ourselves, seek your face, and turn away from anything that draws us away from you, believing that you will heal families, communities, and people’s hearts. Lord, give us the wisdom necessary to unite us, and lead us in the days ahead so our cities can be a light to our nation and a testament to you, the only one who saves. We pray this in Jesus’ name—amen.

Today's Parent Prayer