Are You Running Away From Your Greatness Like Jonah?

When you run away from the challenges of life you might be running away from your greatness as well. The very challenges you are trying to escape might be the very means of your greatness.

Let us look at Jonah’s example.

God said to Jonah, "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me."

But what did Jonah do?

“But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarshish away from the LORD. He went down to Joppa, found a ship going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went aboard to journey with them to Tarshish, away from the LORD”

In short Jonah went to the opposite way. Pronto!

Now let us put Jonah in our time and setting so we can better understand how he might have felt. Imagine God suddenly said to you, “Go the malls and preach against materialism and worldliness.” Just thinking of doing that might send shivers under your skin. Just imagine you shouting at the mall, “Stop being materialistic!” Most probably people would think you are nuts and call security to throw you out.

Jonah might have felt the same. He might have thought what would happen to his reputation or to himself if he does what God called him to do.

So what happened to Jonah?

He got into a lot of trouble. The height of it was when the boat he was sailing in was being tossed by waves.

Now here is the turning point of the story. Jonah said, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea, that it may quiet down for you; since I know it is because of me that this violent storm has come upon you."

So what did Jonah do? He forgot himself.

After he made this crucial decision of being selfless and putting others first, God placed Jonah in the road of his personal greatness. A whale swallowed him up for three days and spew Jonah out on the shore. Jonah then proceeded to Nineveh as the God wanted. There he preached repentance. He preached so greatly than men and beast covered themselves with sackcloth and call loudly to God.

Now Jonah is remembered all throughout history as one of the great prophets of the Old Testament.

Sometimes we are like Jonah, running away from what God wants us to do. And like Jonah the more we run away from God’s will the more we get into trouble. And in turn we are tossed around by the tides and storms of life.

If we value our reputation than our faithfulness to God, we will be missing out our greatness. For our greatness lies in God and in His will for our lives.
So how do you find our greatness?

Do what Jonah did. He forgot himself and put God first. He then proceeded to what God wanted him to do, even if he was afraid, even if it would cost him much.

So do not run away from the challenges of life and of being God’s faithful disciple.

For those very challenges is where you will find your greatness.

Just like Jonah.

Written by Daxx Bondoc