“Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
Jonah 1:2 (NIV) When God first gave Jonah his mission, it required a huge step of faith. In fact, the step was so big that Jonah initially ran from it. At the time, Nineveh was the biggest and most important city in the world. It was the capital of Assyria, the strongest empire of the day. Nineveh was a beautiful city with wide boulevards, parks, canals, great architecture, palaces, and temples. But it was also a very cruel and wicked city. The Assyrians destroyed everything in their path and treated everyone else with racial prejudice. For Jonah to preach to them, it would take a step of faith. Why? First, Jonah had grown up in a small village. Yet God was calling him to reach the biggest city in the world. Plus, it was more than 550 miles away. It wouldn’t be easy to get there. Most importantly, Assyria had captured, dominated, and enslaved the Jews multiple times. The Assyrians hated Israel, and Israel hated the Assyrians. They were mortal enemies. They were political enemies. They were religious enemies. They were racial enemies. But God wanted to save these people too, so he sent Jonah on a mission to them. However, instead of obeying, Jonah ran from God’s plan. He wouldn’t take the step of faith necessary to start his mission, let alone complete it. Like Jonah’s mission, your God-given mission will test your faith. It may challenge your comfort zones. It may challenge your prejudices. It may challenge your politics. But you can’t accomplish God’s mission for your life without faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). What Jonah eventually learned is that God will be with us every step along our mission, guiding and providing for us. Jesus promised this when he gave the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).
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“Jonah immediately tried to run away from the LORD by going to Tarshish.”
Jonah 1:3 (GW) God gives every one of us a unique mission—and he gives us a choice as to whether or not we fulfill that mission. God gave Jonah a mission: to warn the people of Nineveh that judgment was coming. But “Jonah immediately tried to run away from the LORD by going to Tarshish” (Jonah 1:3 GW). Jonah faced consequences for his decision, the same kind of consequences you may encounter if you run away from God’s mission for your life. The Bible says that when Jonah boarded a ship to get away from his mission, God sent a powerful wind to push the boat back (Jonah 1:4). Why did God do that? Because he loved Jonah and wanted him to make a good decision that would give him a life of purpose and fulfillment. God sends opposition our way to encourage us to make better decisions. Jonah’s disobedience also threatened the lives of everyone on the boat to Tarshish. When you run away from God, innocent people—including those you care about—can get hurt. Maybe it’s your spouse, your kids, your grandkids, or your friends. Sometimes it’s people you don’t even know. People can get hurt because of your disobedience. Jonah shows that when you run from God, your life starts a downward trajectory. Your disobedience will cost you financially, physically, and relationally. Nineveh was more than 550 miles away, but Jonah tried running to Tarshish, which was 2,500 miles in the opposite direction. The truth is, you can’t run from God for the rest of your life. He’s everywhere and he knows everything. But he gives you choices because he wants you to love him and follow him voluntarily. Since God has your best interest at heart, why run from him? “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”
Ephesians 2:10 (NCV) You weren’t put on earth to live for yourself. You were made for a greater purpose than simply to make money, retire, and die. You were made for a mission, and that mission gives your life meaning. The Bible says, “God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10 NCV) In other words, you’re unique. No one else in the whole world—past, present, or future—is like you. God has made you so unique that there are certain things only you can contribute to the world. Those things make up your life mission. Until you know your life mission, you’re just existing. Life may seem good, but you won’t experience the fulfillment you would if you were living out God’s intentions for you. Jesus says in Mark 8:35, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (TLB). God is giving you the opportunity to build your life around his mission for you. The only way to do that is by starting with a firm foundation: Jesus Christ. “And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than that one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 TLB). You can choose to build your life on Jesus, the only foundation that will last. Or you can choose to spend your life chasing things that ultimately will fail you. What’s certain is that one day you will stand before God and he’ll ask you: “Did you fulfill the mission that I gave you on this earth?” On that day, it will be clear whether you spent your life fulfilling God’s mission for you—or you chose to chase lesser things. It’s never too late to start living the life God has planned for you. Start building your foundation on Jesus and pursuing God’s mission for your life today. |
AuthorTaken from Daily Hope by Rick Warren. Categories
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