Grow 3

Jonah 3:5-6

Ministering to the dying is one of the biggest challenges I face as a pastor. I don’t always know what words to offer someone faced with death. Several years ago I was trying to offer comfort to a person who was terminally ill. In our conversation about death he smiled at me and said, “I’m anxious to see what lies ahead.”

The conversation was much easier after that. This man facing death displayed more spiritual maturity than I had, more than I had even seen in almost anyone else. When we are spiritually mature, spiritually complete – perfect – then we are able to do more good.

We saw Jonah have his faith mature when he went through the ordeal of being swallowed by a big fish. Now that his faith was matured beyond what it was Jonah was able to serve God. How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s preaching? How did the king respond?

Just ahead of this passage we learn that the city of Nineveh was a very important city. It was so large that it required three days to pass through all of its streets. The task of preaching to this city was a frightening and daunting one for Jonah. He did not feel up to the work.

But because of his ordeal on the sea, the ordeal of being swallowed by a fish, but also the realization that God saved him, Jonah matured and moved closer to the perfection we are called to. His faith grew. His faith came closer to wholeness and completeness.

With this stronger faith Jonah was able to actually go to the huge city of Nineveh and preach a message of repentance. The result was that all the people of the city actually listened to this stranger. Even the king heard the message and responded by dressing in sackcloth and ashes as a sign of penance.

We too must mature in our faith. We should grow. Or faith needs to become stronger and more complete. With a stronger faith we can accomplish more for the kingdom of God. We can be more willing to step forward and dare to do good in God’s service. And that work can change lives.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will it take for you to do more for God?