How to Avoid a God-Centred Life

Salvation belongs to the LORD!

Jonah 2:9

Today’s title might seem a little strange: How to Avoid a God-Centred Life, but that’s what Jonah was doing for a huge part of his life! This month we’re going to look at eight different ways Jonah tried to avoid a God-centred life, so we can avoid making the same mistakes he did.

The book of Jonah tells a simple story: God called Jonah to go and preach in a pagan city, but he got on a ship and went the opposite direction. When Jonah was thrown overboard, God provided a fish to rescue him. Jonah decided he had better do what God said, and the people of Nineveh repented and were saved.

Here are three things you can expect to find in the story of Jonah:

1. Expect to see yourself in Jonah
God used Jonah to change a whole city. But instead of being happy about it, Jonah was angry, dissatisfied, and out of sorts with God. Those who throw themselves into the service of Jesus often experience inner conflict more intensely than others. The more useful you are to Christ, the more intense your struggles.

2. Expect to be disturbed by God’s passion for the world
Nothing is more disturbing to a comfortable faith or a comfortable church than God’s passion for the world. God called Jonah to leave the life he loved to reach the people God loved. God’s call revealed the selfishness of Jonah’s heart. God’s passion for lost people can turn things upside down in your life and in His church.

3. Expect to be surprised by God’s care for His servants
If God cared only about the work, He could have ditched Jonah and sent someone else. But God cared about Jonah. In God’s mercy a great city was saved from judgement, but the city gets very little attention in the book. The book is about God’s patience and perseverance and perseverance with Jonah. God cares more about you than about what you are doing.

*Where do you expect to be most challenged by Jonah’s story?*