Jonah-a Picture of God Using an Immature Believer

In the Old Testament, most names had a significant meaning. Jonah means dove. His father's name, Amittai, means truth.

Jonah was one who believed strongly in God, however, he was immature, suicidal and often depressed. Even though God used him mightily, Jonah had an immature response to His call. God still used him. God will use you, despite your faults.

Interesting facts about Jonah are:

• God spoke to him.

• Jonah was told specifically where to go: Ninevah

• What to do: cry out against it

• The reason for the action: they were wicked before God

• Ninevah was founded by Nimrod who was a very evil man.

• Jonah responded to God's call by fleeing [an immature response] to Tarshish which means a smelting pot, refinery, and was place where there was a mix of many cultures. It was "by way of Joppa" which means beauty.

Application to our life:

God gives us direction; we try to find beauty or satisfaction in going a different direction resulting in God "refining" us. We think we are fleeing, away from God, but we are fleeing right into his refinery. God's purpose is to make something beautiful out of our life.

God responded to Jonah by using the elements, wind, waves, and storm... we often think God does things 'supernaturally' but if you look at Scripture, he often does them naturally. It may be so the unbeliever will not see anything out of the norm and it will cause them and the believer to react by faith and not due to unnatural phenomenon or a 'religious experience'.

God caused the ship that Jonah was in to sink. A man's normal response to this type of disaster is to fear, fight or flee from the elements. Jonah responded by falling asleep. Sleeping during a crisis is often due to depression.

The response of the sailors was to call out to God.

Note that the ungodly men were able to discern God's will. Even the ungodly are given God's enlightenment if it will result in His glory. We need to remember this when a non-Christian boss, parents or the government tries to direct us.

Jonah became suicidal. This is sometimes what we sometimes feel when we do not following God's will.

v.16 The result was that God was known as the Lord.

Jonah was thrown into the sea. That meant death to him. That sea is very big. There was no hope for his survival. When he told the sailors to throw him into the sea, it was because he felt he should die. When he was swallowed up, he realized that he was really gone. Inside the fish, there was no hope that he could at the very least, tread water. He prayed and then repented rethink. He broke and had his first discourse with God.

God spoke back and Jonah moved. He had a tender heart.

When he finally went to Ninevah, he spoke and the people of Ninevah believed. He spoke with authority.

God's decision to spare Ninevah displeased Jonah and he became angry.

Jonah knew God's heart, that He was gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in loving kindness, relents of calamity.

Think about this list and ask yourself how you display those characteristics to your family members. We need first to practice them at home before we do it out in the world. The home is God's training ground for us before we are able to go into the world to share His love. If we aren't doing it at home, we best not fool ourselves into thinking we can do it in the world.

In 4:1, after God relented, Jonah was displeased and his displeasure turned to anger. Do you ever see this in you, when God does something you disagree with? Do you ever get angry when things don't go your way? I do.

In v.2, he has his second discourse with God. Remember the first was one of seeking God when he was in trouble and now that he is safe, he is angry with God. He says, "I fled to Tarshish in order to forestall this". That was not the reason but he has turned it around in his own mind to JUSTIFY his behavior.

In 1:3 it says that he "fled from the presence of the Lord", it had nothing to do with forestalling this.

Have you ever done that, changed things around to justify your behavior?

After he lied, v.3 indicates that he became suicidal. Have you ever done this, not be up front with God then feel like dying. I think this is a very important part of this text. The next time you feel like Jonah did, ask yourself, "did God give me some direction and I am bucking Him".

4.5-Jonah made a shelter for himself. We often try to cover ourselves with things, habits, and activities to redirect our focus and feelings.

God, in His benevolence, caused a plant to grow to shade him. Jonah was elated but God caused a worm to destroy the plant a dry hot wind to blow. Jonah again became angry and wanted to die. God related his emotion for the plant to that of His to the people of Ninevah.

God's wrath and compassion are illustrated here as are Jonah's 'roller coaster' emotions, anger, and suicidal ideation.

v.11, God brings logic, conclusion, and closure.

What do you think about:

Jesus' references to Jonah in Matthew 16:4.

Jonah being a 'sign' to the Ninevites as Christ is to this generation. Luke 11:30

GROW UP

GROW UP, ACT YOUR AGE, YOU’RE SO IMMATURE…

Ever heard those words before? Maybe you still hear them. Maybe just in your head.

Months after writing the study on James 1 about trials leading to our maturity, I began to question the importance of those first few verses. I started to look at Christians, our walk, our relationship with God and our relationship with other people. I came to see that our number one problem is that we are immature.

Psychologists use terms like narcissistic, egocentric, or self-centered, but God calls it ‘imperfect’. He says, “you are to be perfect, as I am perfect." (Mt. 5:48) Wow, I'd be happy with just moral, friendly or maybe trustworthy, but perfect?

The word ‘perfect’ is translated ‘mature’. God's desire is for us to be mature.

In earlier years, I have taken an approach to Christianity as a list of 'dos and don'ts'. My efforts were focused on struggling with sin and trying to overcome its power over me. However, I am learning that when we grow up, those behaviors begin to pass on their own.

Look at the way children act as opposed to adults. When children are given money, they find the first gum machine or toy to spend it on rather than thinking ahead to the future. Or, they hoard their money and don't give. Emotionally, they cry, pout, scream or 'fly off the handle'. The mature person remains calm and listens. Children fight and don't reason things through. They want instant gratification for their sensual appetites rather than postpone them. They lack contentment and satisfaction.

Paul says, "when I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought as a child and reasoned as a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish ways".

Do any of these ring true with you? They sure do with me.

Why does God want us to be mature? God's ultimate goal is for us to love Him and to love one another. Love comes only after we mature. The immature person is self-centered. The mature person is other-centered. When we are other-centered, we exhibit love. Paul says, "when the perfect (maturity) comes, the partial will be done away." He wrote this in what we call "the love chapter", 1 Cor. 13.

If He wants us to be mature so that we can love one another then how do we get there? What can we do to aid the process? Two scriptures come to mind. James 1 says, trials (temptations and tests) will test your faith and that testing produces endurance. It then says, “Let endurance have its perfect result that you may be mature and complete…” In other words, you need to respond correctly to trials and temptations. The children of Israel responded by grumbling resulting in them continuing on their journey for years. The best response you can have toward your trials and temptations is to allow Him to continue to work in you without grumbling but rather endure with patience and thanksgiving each situation He brings your way. It sounds simple, very simple, but we won’t do it.

The second scripture (Col. 1:28) says, "admonish every man and teaching every man with all wisdom that we may present every man mature." To grow in maturity, submit yourself to teaching and admonition. We often refuse to submit ourselves to others for scrutiny, which would allow them to admonish us and teach us. Think of what would happen to a child if he refused to listen to the teaching and correction of his father; he would be immature and any attempt to grow on his own would result in failure. We must find one or two others that we voluntarily expose ourselves to in order that they can speak into our lives, for our admonition, teaching and maturity.

This child I speak of is best exemplified in “the rich young ruler”. He is described as rich, young and a ruler in three of the Gospels. He was a youth who probably had been given a place of leadership and wealth before he earned them by hard work. This power probably went to his head. It appears that he was raised to be a pious person. However, when he asked Jesus what he had to do to be saved (enter the Kingdom of Heaven), Jesus went to the root of his need. He was immature. He needed to sell, give and follow (leaving the things that held him to this earth and his position of authority). He became very sad and went away. He refused to take the steps to maturity.

Narcissistic, egocentric, or self-centered? God calls us to grow up, to mature. He tells us that this is necessary for us to be effective and He gives us a prescription to bring it about. We are to start responding to his reproofs and corrections without grumbling and allow him to complete what he started in our lives and to submit to brothers who will be able to speak into our lives and give us correction. In this way we will mature and begin to see victory in our lives.