Are you running?

  The other day I was reading the book of Jonah and God showed me something that perhaps I have overlooked in the past. As a little girl we always sang the song of Jonah and the whale. I pretty much always looked at as just that, a big fish or whale swallowed Jonah. I have heard this story preached different ways but still never the way I read it this time.

  In the story, God told Jonah to go and speak to the great city of Nineveh. He wasn't just told to go preach to them but was told to go and preach against them. Instead of Jonah going he ran and tried to hide because of fear. Once on the ship, God sent a storm that made all the others fearful, (paraphrasing), after casting lots it fell on Jonah so they threw him overboard to save their own lives. Then God sent a big fish to swallow Jonah to keep him from drowning.

  Thinking of how each thing happened in this story, I reflect on my own life and the lives of others. How many times has God asked us to do something and instead of doing it, we run and try to hide? How many have great callings on their lives, yet run from that calling? Maybe because of fear, selfish desires, life style, whatever the reason is.

  Then the next part, Jonah tried to hide from God. How many hide from God through addictions, sin, depression, trying to put him out of your mind and heart? People try to drink their problems away, they look for love and fulfillment through relationships, they take pills so they don't have to feel, they even deny Christ.

  In the story, next came a mighty storm. The storm was beating against the boat and the people in the boat feared for their own lives. Ever notice how when we try to hide from God everything feels like it is falling apart around us? Our family falls apart, our finances are short, our health deteriorates; mostly because of stress, and nothing seems to work in our favor.

  But just when you think your life is over and you have nothing to live for, God saves you. At the end of the story, Jonah accepts the call that God has placed on his life. Even though the end of the story you will see Jonah still had some learning to do and God teaches him. But Jonah stepped into his calling and obeyed God.

  If it seems like everything is going wrong around you, if you feel like you have to push your problems away through addictions or relationships, ask yourself, what are you running from?

  God has called each and every one of us. We all have a job to do and each one of us is just as important to Christ as the next. So when you see others overcome addictions, thoughts of suicide, fear, just know this, God sees us all the same, if one can overcome it, so can you. So stop running, surrender your life to Christ and step into the ministry that He has called you too.