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February 7, 2025

 

Are you becoming more loving? Seriously. Consider how long you’ve been following Jesus. What do you think: Are you more loving today than when you first gave your life to Jesus? It’s a simple question that is strikingly difficult to answer. It has ramifications that ripples through our lives backwards and forwards when we consider our impact on the world and the people around us.

 

Jesus was emphatic throughout the Gospels:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

-John 13:34-35

 

There is a prophet in the Old Testament named Jonah. As a kid, I remember learning about him. We sang songs about him. We colored pictures of him. The run-away prophet who was swallowed by a great fish. It’s a vivid story full of intrigue! No wonder we teach it to kids. But what is the message of Jonah’s life? I want to take a look at what we see in Scripture that may give us some idea as to what Jonah’s spiritual formation was producing in his life.

 

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. -Jonah 1:1-3

 

So far… we see a prophet displaying fear and disobedience to God. Ok. Fair enough. But there’s more. Jonah seems to have a change of heart while inside the fish. He prays this…

 

“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”  -Jonah 2:8-9

 

Jonah finally makes his way to the people of Nineveh in chapter three where he’s supposed to deliver a message of coming destruction unless the people repent and turn to God. Except he seems to leave out a really important part of that message. Look…

 

Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.”


Where’s the love of God in Jonah’s message? Where is the repentance piece in his message? It gets worse. Later, after the people of Nineveh repent of their wickedness, Jonah is angry! He pouts and yells and argues with God about his ridiculous mercy.

 

… “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” -Jonah 4:2-3

 

The book of Jonah ends with his anger toward God because God's love was too gracious toward sinful people, he must remind Jonah that he is a God of compassion and grace. Wow. What an ending. I wonder what was going through Jonah’s mind! He knew God was loving but he didn’t want that love shown in certain circumstances to certain people for certain things. Jonah hadn’t reached the point where God’s love had shaped his heart to be loving as well. Jonah, like all of us, was in process, but, geesh! He was missing a crucial piece of formation.


Dallas Willard says: “Grace is opposed to earning, not effort.” Love takes intentionality, practice, and surrender. We have to be willing to place ourselves at God’s feet and trust him to make us into more loving, compassionate, caring, grace-filled people. That takes time, effort, and hard work to re-form our habits that often lead to the contrary.


John Mark Comer says this in his book Practicing The Way: “We become like what we believe God is.” I wonder if Jonah REALLY believed God was forgiving and compassionate? Or did he believe that God’s love was conditional or merit-based?

 

God is a God of boundless free grace. As you are being formed by Jesus, are you asking God for his free grace and unconditional love to shape your heart in love for others? Let’s get started.

 

Pray:

Awaken me, Jesus, to your presence within me, around me, above me, and below me.

Grant me grace to follow you into the unknown, into the next place in my journey with you. Change me to become like you in love. In your name, amen.

 

Being formed,

Nathan




Nathan Hinkle

Lead Pastor








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