Avoiding the Yes!

“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. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

Jonah 1:3 NIV

One of the most frustrating times in life is when you have been asked to do a task that you really don’t want to complete. Have you ever been the friend assigned to break the difficult news to another friend or family member? Questioning and wrestling with the how, when honestly you didn’t sign up for the responsibility in the first place. Life sometimes places us in the space just like it did for Jonah. Jonah the son of Amittai commissioned by God to go to Nineveh and preach against it because of its wickedness. Upon receiving the assignment Jonah runs away from the Lord, purchases a ticket for a boat excursion to flee from the Lord.

What do you do when disobedience to the Lord becomes easier than the fear of yes? How do we wrestle with the yes? God why do you keep assigning me to spaces, people, places, etc. that I have no desire to be? Any true disciple has wrestled with these questions, to ultimately conclude that we don’t have a say in the how, what, when, where, or why; but we do have a part in the yes. Jonah’s escape was only temporary because the prophet found himself causing havoc in others’ lives through disobedience and being swallowed up. Beloved we may try to avoid yes but we won’t be successful in avoiding the plans God has for us. It may come with discomfort, pain, stretching, sacrifice, loneliness, and the list goes on. Just say yes!

My dear readers, please leave a comment and share some feelings about the process to yes.