via TJC
Jonah rose up to flee – take me up and cast me forth into the sea – a great fish swallowed up Jonah – Jonah prayed unto the Lord – Jonah rose and went to Nineveh – it displeased Jonah exceedingly – so Jonah was exceeding glad… and on and on.
Jonah 1:3,12, and 17; 2:1; 3:3; 4:1 and 6''
For goodness sakes! Get a hold of yourself lad!
Andrew Peterson said it well in his lyrics, “How does it end when the war that you’re in is just you against you against you – gotta learn to love, learn to love, learn to love your enemies too”.
Jonah reminds me of… me. I’ve run for years. Sometimes, I still want to run even when things are quite well. Just recently, we took a family vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains and immediately thought it would be great to live there again (lived there as a kid).
Years ago I ran from my hometown and joined the Navy looking to do something “different” than my friends. I was angry that I was failing in my own eyes – caving to chasing money, parties, and drugs etc. I flushed a lot of youthful years away just trying to have a good time. But I always had something to prove as well. So the Navy was gonna keep me straight and give me a new set of goals.
When I separated from my now ex-wife, I also separated from the Navy, and ran back to my hometown and sunk myself into a ton of school loans at a private university – still trying to prove something. I was angry because I flushed a flourishing Navy career. I was divorced. I picked up a DUI. All at the same time. These things weren’t supposed to happen to me! I was a Christian and had always been told I had so much potential – what does that even mean, anyway?! (Notice my eyeroll).
I still carry the chip, the grudge, the emotions, the disgust, the hate – the war against me against me against me rages on! What am I fighting for? What am I so angry about? Truth be told I cannot give one solid reason for the anger. My reasons when compared to Christ and how he has blessed my life regardless bring a humbling reality that its all based on pride. I am the proudest monkey! I’ve always felt trapped in my own head. Limited as though some curse lingers over me and prevents me from achieving something greater. But what exactly is that achievement? A grand accomplishment which many will remember me by? HA! We all so easily forget it’s a journey. It’s small victories along the way that build one upon the other until we realize something great truly is happening; and not because of anything we’ve done.
You know who else made excuses and ran based on fear and caved to the war in their own heads? Moses, David, Samson. In fact, I dare to say David’s biggest giant was fear and so was Jonah’s.
Daily Battle Order
We all think we must be or do something great to be of any use. Our “humility” of not being ready is just the same as thinking we deserve something better – they’re both pride because they put us and our thinking before God. The truth is the setbacks, the caves, the sunken road, etc are places God has allowed us to be so that our greatest need is to need Him. This way he might finally be able to use us. Drop the pride, let go of the anger, and let him take everything and we may just find ourselves holding onto something worthwhile in the end.
via TJC
Jonah rose up to flee – take me up and cast me forth into the sea – a great fish swallowed up Jonah – Jonah prayed unto the Lord – Jonah rose and went to Nineveh – it displeased Jonah exceedingly – so Jonah was exceeding glad… and on and on.
Jonah 1:3,12, and 17; 2:1; 3:3; 4:1 and 6
For goodness sakes! Get a hold of yourself lad!
Andrew Peterson said it well in his lyrics, “How does it end when the war that you’re in is just you against you against you – gotta learn to love, learn to love, learn to love your enemies too”.
Jonah reminds me of… me. I’ve run for years. Sometimes, I still want to run even when things are quite well. Just recently, we took a family vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains and immediately thought it would be great to live there again (lived there as a kid).
Years ago I ran from my hometown and joined the Navy looking to do something “different” than my friends. I was angry that I was failing in my own eyes – caving to chasing money, parties, and drugs etc. I flushed a lot of youthful years away just trying to have a good time. But I always had something to prove as well. So the Navy was gonna keep me straight and give me a new set of goals.
When I separated from my now ex-wife, I also separated from the Navy, and ran back to my hometown and sunk myself into a ton of school loans at a private university – still trying to prove something. I was angry because I flushed a flourishing Navy career. I was divorced. I picked up a DUI. All at the same time. These things weren’t supposed to happen to me! I was a Christian and had always been told I had so much potential – what does that even mean, anyway?! (Notice my eyeroll).
I still carry the chip, the grudge, the emotions, the disgust, the hate – the war against me against me against me rages on! What am I fighting for? What am I so angry about? Truth be told I cannot give one solid reason for the anger. My reasons when compared to Christ and how he has blessed my life regardless bring a humbling reality that its all based on pride. I am the proudest monkey! I’ve always felt trapped in my own head. Limited as though some curse lingers over me and prevents me from achieving something greater. But what exactly is that achievement? A grand accomplishment which many will remember me by? HA! We all so easily forget it’s a journey. It’s small victories along the way that build one upon the other until we realize something great truly is happening; and not because of anything we’ve done.
You know who else made excuses and ran based on fear and caved to the war in their own heads? Moses, David, Samson. In fact, I dare to say David’s biggest giant was fear and so was Jonah’s.
Daily Battle Order:
We all think we must be or do something great to be of any use. Our “humility” of not being ready is just the same as thinking we deserve something better – they’re both pride because they put us and our thinking before God. The truth is the setbacks, the caves, the sunken road, etc are places God has allowed us to be so that our greatest need is to need Him. This way he might finally be able to use us. Drop the pride, let go of the anger, and let him take everything and we may just find ourselves holding onto something worthwhile in the end.
A DBO so nice, Kyle pasted it twice!
that’s a good man being transparent