But then I turned the page and read where it tells us about the goals of the Enemy. "He will cause us to become offended over a harmless statement, to read more meaning into a comment than the speaker intended, to ascribe impure motives to someone's behavior, or to believe a lie." And I find that when I am being offended in this way, I in turn become more divisive. Ouch!
At the same time, my Bible study lesson this morning was about Jonah. Many people know about Jonah being swallowed by a whale. But the whole story is that the reason Jonah was in the ocean at all was because he was running away from God! God had told him to go preach to some people in Ninevah and he didn't want to. He didn't like those people. They weren't like him and they weren't NICE! So he jumped aboard a ship, a big storm blew up, he told the sailors to save themselves by throwing him in the sea, so there he was. And wouldn't you know that God wouldn't let him die and AVOID the mission! God sent a big fish to rescue Jonah. But he let Jonah stew in fish juice for three days until Jonah worked out what was really at the heart of the issue.
Even then, after Jonah went and preached to the people and they repented and started worshiping the Lord Jonah was miffed! He still didn't like those people! And God asked Jonah what right Jonah had to say who would and would not be saved.
In my Bible study lesson, one of the questions was whether there was a "Ninevah" mission in my life that God keeps sending me on and that I would prefer to run away from. Double barreled ouch! There are two people in my life that I can't help but be around and who I KNOW are my Ninevah mission. Like Jonah, I don't like them and they aren't like me. And over the years they've been often unkind or indifferent.
A mission to people who are unwilling, unwelcoming and unloving is difficult. After years and years of this, I am tempted to do a Jonah and jump a ship for Tarshish. Or worse, have an attitude of grudging obedience. Do I really look forward to these people coming to know the Lord? Do I really want to share the "goodies." Don't I want God to like me better because I knew Him and obeyed Him first?
Ouch, ouch and ouch.
Lord help me love them the way you do, and passionately desire their hearts to yield to you. Help me not to be divisive when my feelings are hurt. And if I'm not feeling particularly energetic in loving them, at least help me not be a stumbling block, and kindle in me a desire to serve more enthusiastically in this area.
Because it is God's preference for us to sow peace, I would like to offer a giveaway of The Peacemaker book. This is the student edition of The Peacemaker: Handling Conflict without Fighting Back or Running Away by Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson. If you would like this book, please leave me a note in the comments. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.
5 comments:
I love the story of Jonah because he got a "do-over". God called him and he declined, but rather than being zapped dead, God continues to deal with him and afford him an opportunity to "begin again". So thankful God is a God of second chances.
This sounds like an excellent book! Let me be the first to sign up to win!
It seems like there is always someone reminding us that our Christian spirit is capable of spreading mighty thin. I said a prayer for you and your situation.
OMG did this reading PEG someone in my family. Every conversation is like walking over a minefield, literally anything can just make her blow. And she's constantly kissing up to one person while casting off another, and trying to make them choose sides for or against her. Constant, constant, sniping.
The way she's a blessing to our family is, that most of us raised around her grew up to be the most non-confrontational peacemakers you ever met LOL. We know how awful constant conflict is and do anything to avert it.
Thanks for sharing this!
lagirl - yes, Jonah's story reassures me too!
Quilly - you're in the running! It is a really good book for working with kids, too. Thank you for the prayers -- I need them!
Susan - the problem with learning to avoid conflict this way is that one rarely learns to deal with issues constructively either. I grew up with those instincts too, so this is an area of growth for me! (But aren't they all?)
I do know several people who sow dissension and it is sometimes hard to be around them because of that
our church last year studied Jonah; such a fascinating character he was; despite 3 days in a whale and a second chance he still had trouble getting God really wanted the people of Ninevah to get it
Ken Sande of the Peacemaker book is from where I used to live in Montana; don't put me in for the giveaway since I've read the book before, very good one indeed
betty
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