Don't Pull A "Jonah"

Read Luke 6:46-49

Context: This text is the end of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

Text:
46"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete." (NIV)

taken from www.biblegateway.com

Have you ever "pulled a Jonah"? That is, have you made a commitment to follow God's way but when you found out what he wanted you turned and ran the opposite way?

God repeatedly tells us that he wants us to pray, he tells us what to pray for, and he promises to provide for all of our needs. But frequently his ideas of what we need are inconsistent with what we want...or even what we think we need. Sometimes he asks us to do things that just don't make any sense at the time...other times we are asked to stretch and take on challenges we don't think we are capable of meeting. And then occasionally he tells us to either do something we really don't want to do, or not to do something we really want to do. I hate when that happens!

In these times it is easy to say 'thanks, but no thanks...I'll do it myself'. Unfortunately, every time we choose to not listen or obey, we end up like Jonah. There are serious storms in our lives, and then we spend a period of time where we feel shut off from God -- we might as well be in the belly of a fish.

If God asks you to take action in a way that you don't prefer, take the easy way out and obey!