I'll talk about the best and worst reactions of people in the Bible when God asks them to do something they don't want to do. However, many Christians may believe such situations are uncommon in modern Christian life, but in the Bible, it is common in many stories.
The story of Jonah is an excellent example of how individuals can experience hardship and problems when they respond to God in the wrong way.
Main Story in the Passage
Jonah was an Israelite prophet who received God's divine command to preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. However, Jonah believed Nineveh was a wicked city known for violence and corruption. So, he did not want to go and preach. Instead of obeying God's command, he decided to run away from his responsibility and boarded a ship heading in the opposite direction. His decision had consequences that affected him deeply later in his life.
During his travel, God sent a great storm upon the sea as a result of Jonah's disobedience. The storm grew stronger, and the sailors on the ship began praying to God for help, fearing for their lives.
The sailors didn't want to hurt the innocent people around them, so they decided to cast lots to find out who caused the storm. The lot fell on Jonah. Realizing that the storm was a punishment for his actions, Jonah confessed to the crew that he was fleeing from God. The sailors asked Jonah how to stop the storm, and he told them to throw him into the sea.
Reason for Jonah’s decision
Why did Jonah chose not to go to Nineveh? Because he saw Nineveh as an enemy of the Israelites, both politically and religiously. So he desired the destruction of Nineveh rather than it receiving God's grace and forgiveness. It is why he ignored God's voice, and his choice had its consequences.
Jonah's response was one of the worst examples that Christians should not follow. Isaiah 55:8 , “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
Proper Responses
Here is another example. It provides us with better guidance on how to respond more properly when God asks us to do something.
It was Moses's response when God told him to go to the King of Egypt and say, 'Let the People of Israel go.' Upon receiving this task, Moses hesitated and said, "Lord, I am not capable of doing this work. Please, send someone else." God allowed Moses’ request to partner with his brother Aaron for the mission but did not excuse him from the responsibility.
It's okay to ask God for an easier way, and negotiating with God under certain conditions, such as saying, 'If you provide this and that, I will do it,' is also possible. However, when God persistently asks you to do something, the answer is clear: you should do it.
What are the signs and how we know that God consistently asks us to do?
Repetitive messages
The first sign is repetitive words or messages that you can read or hear. Have you ever experienced certain Bible verses touching your heart, and you keep hearing similar sermons and songs repeatedly that continue to convict you? It is how God has been speaking to people in the Bible.
Job 33:14-18, “For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it. He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they lie in their beds. He whispers in their ears and terrifies them with warnings. He makes them turn from doing wrong; he keeps them from pride. He protects them from the grave, from crossing over the river of death.”
If you receive similar feedback from other faithful believers whom you trust in God, or if Christians around you, including your church leaders, keep telling you the same thing, you better listen because many times, God has used people to guide His followers into His will.
Coincidental Events
The other way to find God's commands toward you is to find God's voice in overlapping coincidences.
In the story of Jonah, he encountered many coincidental events, such as facing a tremendous storm while attempting to travel in the opposite direction of the city of Nineveh. Another event involves the casting of lots, which fell on Jonah. These occurrences were not mere coincidences but rather interventions by God to guide him on the path that God intended him to follow.
One of the most significant medical achievements in history was the discovery of penicillin in 1928. A scientist in Scotland accidentally left bacteria in an open petri dish while on vacation. When he returned, he found mold had grown on the plate and had killed the bacteria around it. This accidental discovery led to the development of antibiotics, saving over 400,000 wounded soldiers from their injuries during World War II.
Hundreds and thousands of beneficial things are often discovered by chance from a human point of view. But in God's perspective, it is the hand of God working for us.
The Best Response
The best response when God asks us to do something we might not want to do is Jesus' obedience. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus understood God's will for Him. He prayed, 'If it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.' This powerful moment illustrates Jesus' submission to God's plan over His own preferences. The Bible consistently emphasizes that submission and obedience represent the most appropriate response to God's call.
There are three typical reactions of people in the Bible when God tells them to do what they do not like. The first one is hesitation and resistance. The second one is to make negotiations and requests for alternative ways. The last one is submission and obedience. Those three reactions are available for all Christians, but the Bible always teaches us to choose the better and the best.
Conclusion
When God asks us to do something we don’t want to do, we can have the freedom to choose how to respond. It is called “human free will.” However, every human decision has its consequences. It is clear that we have freedom of choice but do not have freedom from its consequences.
Why does God ask you to do something you don't want to do? It's a question that many people may raise in order to understand the reasons behind it. Jeremiah 29:11 give us a clear answer “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
@ 08.13.2023. Pastor Cloud Poy
@ Photo on Unsplash의Katherine McCormack
