Many people do not like to make waves, to cause disruption, to upset the status quo. When someone is speaking, we don’t interrupt them. If someone interrupts us, we let them speak. Sometimes we never get to say what we want to say, what we sometimes need to say. It is a part of who we are, a part of our nature.
But sometimes, God asks us to speak out. Sometimes we need to not allow others to interrupt us. Sometimes we need to be bold, even if it is not part of our nature.
Jonah did not want to do what the Lord asked him to do. He tried running away, but God needed Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and speak out about their wickedness. After being thrown over the side of a ship, swallowed up by a great fish and spending time in prayer, Jonah finally set out on the mission God wanted him to do. And to Jonah’s surprise, the people of Nineveh repented.
Often times we cannot understand why God would pick us to do something. We often feel unworthy of such a calling. We think we are too young, too old, not smart enough, not holy enough, and on and on. Sometimes we are simply frightened by what we are asked to do. While many of these things may be true, it is not us choosing to go on this mission, but God choosing us to further his work. And being God selected us, God will give us what we need to complete the work.
During Lent, we need to spend some time in the belly of a great fish. We need to examine our lives, to determine if we are praying and listening to God, what we need to repent. We get so consumed by worldly things, we forget our future is not here. God wants us to be in heaven with him, for all eternity. And part of our earthly journey, includes doing things for God, even when we feel unprepared.
But we need to go do what God asks of us, we need to speak out, if that is our mission from God. We need to stand up to things that are wrong. We need to help others move toward repentance. Because in the end, it is not about us, but about God. And if we follow God, we will be rewarded for all eternity.
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