Role Playing

We are all defined by the roles that we play, aren't we? Men and Women play different roles and those roles define in large part who we are as people, as christians, or as enemies. Just ask the question of any man, "what do you do for a living" and he will tell you as though he's sharing his soul. In the same way, ask a woman about her children, her babies, or her home and she'll tell you a tale of unending story about what makes her breathe, and about what makes her exhale. Now, consider a less gender specific role, such as a prophet, a preacher, or a teacher, especially a teacher of a specific topic, and he or she will tell you...the complete story of what makes their heart beat..it's their life's work, that is still working, growing, and evolving, making them into what they were meant to be. Truly, when Jonah was called by God..the God he served by the way...LOL, I only point that out because the bible is so full of characters that were called before they knew God, which in someways was a plus for their faith. Well, Jonah knew God...knew Him well....and when God called Jonah...he was a prophet of Israel... Jonah 1:1 reads,

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. 

Now, we've said this before and we'll say it again....to go away from Israel is to go away from the Lord....So, when Jonah ran, he was not just running away from His calling to serve God in Nineveh, he was running from God...!! Why not just stay in Israel and defy God...?? At least, Jonah would have been still in his home, carrying out his role as prophet...yes, that heart could've kept on beating, right? Jonah...Jonah Jonah....the prophet, called the dove of Israel...he couldn't fly straight anymore because he was mad at God...!!! At the very suggestion that Jonah give up his role as prophet to Israel and compromise himself as a person, a Christian or as a rightful enemy to Assyria....Jonah was mad!! So mad, So sad, too bad for Jonah who had no where else to go but away..away from the presence of the Lord.   Are you running from God today because His dream for you means giving up a current dream you are living..?? Consider that even in the loss of the roles we tend to need...desperately need...that God gives us a more definitive role in Him, a role that will last forever....Remember...there is no God like your God..there is no plan, like His plan and there are no roles as great as the ones He has yet to ask us to play on this earth and into eternity...

I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Psalm 119:60 NIV  Amen!