What I learned from Jonah

One thing I still struggle with is being able to love someone who has hurt me. Truly to forgive them and love them and see them the way Christ does.
I had reached a point in my relationship with God where I fully surrendered to Him and have sought to die daily but then God reveiled something to me that shook me to my core.
I had recently been asking God to forgive me for complaining about others..especially those who are like sandpaper (and rub me the wrong way) or take jabs at me, mock me, that sort of thing. I found myself not only complaining but also finding fault. Everytime it happened I immediately repented and asked God to help me not do that. Well, today He showed me the root!
While I was meditating on this the Lord brought to my mind the story of Jonah.
Jonah was a man of God, used by God and yet when God asked him to go to Ninevah he flat out refused and ran away. Why? I asked myself that and then I realized, Jonah didn't like those people in Ninevah. They had done things to hurt his people, horrible things, offended them, mockers of God, etc.
Jonah didn't want God to save them. He wanted them to be punished. In a sense he wanted to see justice done.
I instantly thought of many situations where I have been like that. Wanting to see justice, wanting God to punish those who had hurt me. Then I thought of how Jonah was bitter and angry at God for saving the people of Ninevah. I think we are all like that at times.
BUT...then I put myself in those people's shoes. I remembered how I was before I came to Christ, when I was ignorant, of the world, lost.
Oh how much love and compassion God had on me! Chose to save me!
This is why it's so important to love each other, not find fault, pray for one another, and not let ourselves get so easily offended. We MUST stop complaining, pointing the finger, grumbling, and having this sense of wanting justice done. We must be quick to forgive and love one another. When we see something not line up with the word of God then we need to take it to our prayer closets...not to our social circles to gossip and complain.
People will not change until they see the true love of God pouring out of us. Accepting them where they are at, loving them unconditionally.

Jesus said;
Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who spitefully use you and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

ouch...that's hard right? It is if we try to do it in our own strength. We must surrender our hearts totally to God. Only He can change our hearts so that we can love like Christ.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)
We must decrease so He may increase. Less of me God...more of YOU!

One other thought for today. Let us be careful not to let materialism water down our faith! We must be totally dependant on God and not on the things of this world.