From Northview To Nineveh

Lessons from Jonah

Before I get started, let me say right up front that I believe that everyone in the body of Christ is “called” of God and has certain “gifts” given by Him for service.

Though we are all unique in our own way we are fundamentally the same in this aspect. There are two things that we have to consider about our lives as people of God; number one our calling from God and number two our sending by God. The first is a given and very easy to determine but the second one “the sending” will be different for all of us.

Let’s take Jonah for an example today. Jonah had the right calling of God but the wrong sending, when it came to God’s will in his life. Jonah's very name means dove or pigeon which means that Jonah was a messenger sent from God Himself. So what happened between Jonah’s calling and his sending? Was Jonah afraid? Was he a malcontent? Was he just plain stubborn and rebellious? Well truthfully if you take a close examination of Jonahs story you will see a little bit of all these flaws in his life. The only difference between Jonahs story and ours is about a thousand years or so. Jonah got on the wrong boat, headed the wrong way, to the wrong city, in the wrong timing of God, presenting the wrong witness of God because he had the wrong motives about God. Did you get all of that?

Any of us can get tripped up with the sending of God in our lives. Peter said “if it’s really you Lord bid me to come.” The man whose son that was delivered from demon possession said “…Lord help my unbelief.” Thomas said “unless I see in his hands and the print of the nails… and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

Unfortunately for Jonah, he had to learn the hard way to get to God’s perfect will for himself. So many times we continue around the same mountain repeating the same mistakes that we’ve always made in our lives. Many people think that the change in their life is found in their environment. In other words if I can change my surroundings then my life will change. They really believe that the scenery is the source of their problems; so if I just go somewhere else then maybe things will change for me. Let me say this very bluntly here; I personally have never seen this to be true for myself or anyone that I know! Unless God is moving you out then you won’t see many things truly change for you in your life. Many people want a transformation without change! We want our circumstances to change but we don’t want to face the inner-transformation that’s needed in order to garner this change. The message didn’t change but Jonah did!

Jonah knew that he was called and sent of God but he rebelled against the place and people of his sending. Consequently Jonah was thrown into a situation that nearly cost him his life! All of us individually have a mandate from God for our lives. Our sending may not be to the Ninevites but it will be a place and a people that may seem strange to us at first. You’re either on board with Gods plan or you run the risk of being thrown overboard by the winds and waves of this world.

Many times people leave their church, their jobs and sometimes their families because they believe that God’s will for their lives is “somewhere out there.” People will tell me “pastor I just need to get away and go out and find myself.” Friend you don’t need to find yourself, you need to find God! Sometimes people are called and sent to Nineveh and sometimes they are sent to Northview. Regardless of this fact, we need to hear from God on our calling and sending in 2012. Start right where you are and be faithful to God because who knows where he might take you in the years to come. Sometimes the hardest things in life are learning when to hang on and when to let go. So what are you called and sent to do?

Scriptures - Romans 11:29; John 20:24-25; Matthew 14:22-38; Mark 9:24