Are Pride & Prejudice Stifling Your Walk?
When God spoke to Jonah, instructing him to take a message of repentance to the city of Ninevah, Jonah refused. He didn’t like the Ninevites and he didn’t want God to forgive them. In Jonah’s mind, the Ninevites were nasty people who worshiped other gods and didn’t deserve forgiveness and grace. In fact, they weren’t Jews, so it wasn’t worth his time to speak to them!
After Jonah ran from God, was saved out of the belly of a fish by God, and saw the Ninevites repent as a result of hearing God’s word, he became bitter, declared that he was angry, and stated that it would better for him to die than to have to deal with God having mercy on the Ninevites.
Now fast forward to Acts 9, where God speaks to a man named Ananias through a vision. Ananias is instructed by God to go to Saul, lay hands on him and impart the Holy Spirit and healing to him. Ananias' response was one of alarm: “This man has been persecuting and killing Christians, and you want me to do what?” God responded by telling Ananias that that Saul had been chosen as His mouthpiece to spread the Good News, so Ananias obediently hiked it to Straight Street where he laid hands on Saul. Saul’s eyes were spiritually opened and he immediately began to preach Christ crucified and risen.
Both of these men were sent to people who they wouldn’t dream of approaching on their own. But how each responded shows the love and dedication they had to God. Jonah was happy to serve God as a prophet as long as he could continue to hold prejudice and hatred in his heart. He devalued his relationship with God through disobedience and the limitations he placed on what he would do for God. In essence, he chose who was worthy of hearing God speak through him, overriding God’s purposes so that he could wallow in his hatred and prejudice!
Ananias, on the other hand, trusted God and was willing to risk his life when God directed him to go to the very man who was killing and persecuting Christians. He double checked with God, asking Him to clarify, then set aside his pride & prejudice to obediently and humbly carry out God’s instructions.
In the end, God’s purposes were accomplished in both the Ninevites and Saul, but through these examples we are left with lessons on how to respect, honor, love and obey God. The final words we have about Jonah are that he valued a gourd vine more than he valued the 120,000 souls who lived in Ninevah (Jonah 4:10-11). Ananias, on the other hand, called Saul ‘Brother’ and imparted God’s Spirit to him. Ananias was more interested in fulfilling God’s desires than holding onto his prejudices and mindsets. Ananias understood that God is Truth, God is love and God is wisdom: we are here to fulfill His purposes.
God uses us to bring His message to others, but He also uses those circumstances as times of testing our hearts and teaching us: sometimes He puts us in the very situation that will irritate our our mindsets, pride and prejudices! Perhaps God desired to purify Jonah’s heart for greater works ahead, but Jonah wouldn’t have it. He failed the test and was never heard to prophesy again, as far as we know.
What about us? What kind of prejudices, anger or mindsets are we carrying which limit God in and through us? Isn’t it time to break down the boundaries and walls between us and those who need God’s love and forgiveness? Isn’t it time we passed the test, allowed God to purify our hearts and moved forward in greater obedience to His will?
When God spoke to Jonah, instructing him to take a message of repentance to the city of Ninevah, Jonah refused. He didn’t like the Ninevites and he didn’t want God to forgive them. In Jonah’s mind, the Ninevites were nasty people who worshiped other gods and didn’t deserve forgiveness and grace. In fact, they weren’t Jews, so it wasn’t worth his time to speak to them!
After Jonah ran from God, was saved out of the belly of a fish by God, and saw the Ninevites repent as a result of hearing God’s word, he became bitter, declared that he was angry, and stated that it would better for him to die than to have to deal with God having mercy on the Ninevites.
Now fast forward to Acts 9, where God speaks to a man named Ananias through a vision. Ananias is instructed by God to go to Saul, lay hands on him and impart the Holy Spirit and healing to him. Ananias' response was one of alarm: “This man has been persecuting and killing Christians, and you want me to do what?” God responded by telling Ananias that that Saul had been chosen as His mouthpiece to spread the Good News, so Ananias obediently hiked it to Straight Street where he laid hands on Saul. Saul’s eyes were spiritually opened and he immediately began to preach Christ crucified and risen.
Both of these men were sent to people who they wouldn’t dream of approaching on their own. But how each responded shows the love and dedication they had to God. Jonah was happy to serve God as a prophet as long as he could continue to hold prejudice and hatred in his heart. He devalued his relationship with God through disobedience and the limitations he placed on what he would do for God. In essence, he chose who was worthy of hearing God speak through him, overriding God’s purposes so that he could wallow in his hatred and prejudice!
Ananias, on the other hand, trusted God and was willing to risk his life when God directed him to go to the very man who was killing and persecuting Christians. He double checked with God, asking Him to clarify, then set aside his pride & prejudice to obediently and humbly carry out God’s instructions.
In the end, God’s purposes were accomplished in both the Ninevites and Saul, but through these examples we are left with lessons on how to respect, honor, love and obey God. The final words we have about Jonah are that he valued a gourd vine more than he valued the 120,000 souls who lived in Ninevah (Jonah 4:10-11). Ananias, on the other hand, called Saul ‘Brother’ and imparted God’s Spirit to him. Ananias was more interested in fulfilling God’s desires than holding onto his prejudices and mindsets. Ananias understood that God is Truth, God is love and God is wisdom: we are here to fulfill His purposes.
God uses us to bring His message to others, but He also uses those circumstances as times of testing our hearts and teaching us: sometimes He puts us in the very situation that will irritate our our mindsets, pride and prejudices! Perhaps God desired to purify Jonah’s heart for greater works ahead, but Jonah wouldn’t have it. He failed the test and was never heard to prophesy again, as far as we know.
What about us? What kind of prejudices, anger or mindsets are we carrying which limit God in and through us? Isn’t it time to break down the boundaries and walls between us and those who need God’s love and forgiveness? Isn’t it time we passed the test, allowed God to purify our hearts and moved forward in greater obedience to His will?
