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"Jonah set out to flee to Tarshish from the
presence of the Lord" (Jonah 1:3a).
My application for seminary sat in a drawer for two years. It was finished,
signed, even sealed in the envelope. All it needed was the necessary postage to
mail it. But it sat there, never quite forgotten. Even though I had been
hearing my pastors’ voices calling me to go to seminary for a while, I was
reluctant to listen. It took the voices of the youth to convince me that this
is what God wanted me to do.
Jonah was afraid of those people in Nineveh. They were heartless,
bloodthirsty people. They were unredeemable. Jonah wanted nothing to do with
this call from God. My reluctance to answer God’s call was not because of
dislike for God’s people, but maybe Jonah’s reasons were more like mine
than I think. I wonder: was he afraid of the people or of the commitment? Was
he concerned that he didn’t have what was needed? Was he afraid that he would
fail in his calling? Or maybe he was afraid that he would succeed too well.
Fear of success sometimes holds us back as much as fear of failure.
When Jonah did finally go to Nineveh (with a little convincing from God and
the fish who swallowed him!), he did succeed far better than he wanted. Jonah
did such a good job that the Ninevites all repented and God relented. But Jonah
wanted more judgment and justice. God’s plans just didn’t match Jonah’s.
What is it that holds you back? What makes you reluctant to listen to God’s
voice calling you to whatever mission you are meant to follow? Are your plans
more important than God’s? Are you afraid of the commitment and the sacrifice
that God calls for? Are you afraid you will fail? Or succeed too well? Fear
not, God will not give up on you!
Prayer
Gracious God, be patient with us as we find the courage to answer your call.
Give us wisdom to hear your voice and strength to pay attention! Amen
Kristine H.
Totzke is pastor of Martin Luther Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, Wis.
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bible,
copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2002 Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. All rights reserved.
May be reproduced for use in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America provided the copyright information above appears on every copy
with these words: Used with permission.
For all other purposes
contact Women of the ELCA.
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