Jonah will forever be one of my favorite books in the Bible. Not because Jonah is the leading and most Godly figure in the Bible, but because he's one of the most human people in there, and therefore one of the most relatable. Jonah gets just about everything wrong. We could spend months teaching people about what not to do based on Jonah's life, and yet it's included in the Bible. Jonah is a prime example of the work that God can do through flawed people. It reminds me of the teaching in seminary when they tell us that the Holy Spirit transforms the words of the preacher into the Word of God, meaning that effective preaching doesn't depend on the worthiness of the preacher, but rather on the Holy Spirit, which is a far more dependable vehicle. That relieves some stress!
Now, this doesn't mean that we're not all called to do the best work possible. All it means is that despite our failures, God can still use us and proclaim the Gospel through us. We don't have to be afraid of where we fall short -- we can read the book of Jonah and give thanks for the ways that God uses broken people like us.
No comments:
Post a Comment