Christian Living
Imagine: You are a servant of the most High God. He has given you a message to deliver to someone who has sinned against Him. In your fear, you ignore Him. But, God is not so easily sidestepped. He brings you to your knees and points out your sin. You repent and follow God’s leading.
When you deliver His message to the person in question, they repent of their sin and ask God’s forgiveness. To your amazement, God forgives them. You are disgruntled and feel God made a mistake. Mercy should not have been extended to them.
Jonah was such a person. He had been given the gift of prophecy by God. When God gave him a message for his enemy, Nineveh, he found it hard to comply. He decided to ignore God and book passage to Tarshish. God brought him to his knees in the belly of a fish. Jonah repented of his disobedience and continued with God’s plan.
Jonah’s one satisfaction in delivering the message was that he knew that God would destroy the city. Finally, he would be rid of Israel’s enemy once and for all. The response to Jonah’s message was something that he did not expect. The people of Nineveh fasted, wearing ashes and sackcloth. They turned from their wickedness and God forgave them. Jonah seethed with anger. In his opinion, they were too worthless to save.
Does this sound familiar? There are Christians who develop a “God-complex”. A certain level of spirituality gives them reason to believe they have a say in the salvation of others. Wrongly, they believe that there are those who are too unfit to receive God’s mercy.
Each of us has met someone whom we considered to be “undesirable”. We avoid them as often as we can. In their presence, our flesh rises up and we judge them on appearance, attitude, and reputation. When God calls on us to bring the message of salvation to them, we pretend not to hear. Deciding that God has made a mistake, we do not obey.
Romans, chapter 3, verse 23, says,”For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ;”(KJV) No one is more worthy of God’s mercy than another. Think back to the shape you were in when you were still in sin. What a mess, right? God reached down and picked you up out of the muck. And, he used another imperfect being to do it.
Only God has the vision to see our future. He delivers us with the knowledge of who we will become through His love and care. It is His desire that all men be saved and experience eternal life. Begin to see others through the eyes of God. What you may see as unworthy, God sees as unfinished.
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