A Selfish Prophet

"But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore, I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, one who relents from doing harm." - Jonah 4:1-2

The story of Jonah really gives us insight into the heart of people. Jonah was 'exceedingly displeased' that God had shown mercy to the people of Nineveh. He was happy when God showed him a lot of grace, especially when he had messed up, but Jonah couldn't stand the fact that God chose to forgive his enemies. I think we can safely call him: The Selfish Prophet.

Question: How do we feel when others are offered grace? Is there a part of us that struggles with being jealous at all?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Obsessed with myself

We live in a world where we are obsessed with ourselves. This plays itself out most clearly on social media platforms, but it is also seen in other avenues. Oscar Wilde once remarked: "Come over here and sit next to me, I am dying to tell you all about myself."

The reality is that we usually steer clear of people who are self-obsessed, because we never really feel that we are valued. Perhaps one of the reasons why people were drawn to Jesus was because he took a genuine interest in their lives and well-being. Take this encounter with Zacchaeus as an example:

"When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.” - Luke 19:5

Do you know of someone who needs to feel 'valued' today?

Living in Grace

D3LM3