Running From Revival: God's Clear Call
Running from Revival: Why We Resist God's Call
Have you ever felt God calling you to do something specific, only to find yourself heading in the opposite direction? The story of Jonah offers a powerful mirror for our own spiritual lives, revealing why we sometimes run from the very revival and transformation God wants to bring.
When God's Direction is Crystal Clear
The word of the Lord came to Jonah with unmistakable clarity. God told him exactly where to go - Nineveh - and exactly what to do - cry against their wickedness. Jonah didn't lack direction or knowledge. He knew it was God speaking, and he understood God's character perfectly.
Yet despite this clear divine instruction, Jonah chose to do what he wanted instead of what God commanded. He rose up and fled to Tarshish, the complete opposite direction from Nineveh.
The Downward Path of Disobedience
Notice the progression in Jonah's rebellion: he went down to Joppa, went down into the ship, and continued going down. Running from God is always a downward path. You're never going anywhere good when you're traveling opposite to God's direction.
How often do we, as God's children, hear His word clearly on Sundays and Wednesdays, know His will, and still choose not to obey? Knowing God's word doesn't guarantee obedience.
Why Jonah Really Ran
He Knew God's Character Too Well
Jonah later revealed his true motivation: "I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Jonah didn't run from God's judgment - he ran from God's mercy. He feared that if he delivered God's message of judgment to Nineveh, they would repent, and God would forgive them.
This reveals something profound about Jonah's heart. He had experienced God's grace, mercy, and long-suffering in his own life. He knew who God was because God had shown him grace repeatedly. But now he didn't want others to experience that same mercy.
Revival Threatened His Preferences
Nineveh was a barbaric nation with a violent reputation. Historically, travelers approaching the city would see walls made of human bones and stakes topped with human remains - a clear message about the brutality within. Jonah simply didn't want to see these people repent and receive God's mercy.
What Does This Reveal About Us?
We Resist Repentance in Our Own Lives
While Jonah resisted repentance in Nineveh, he was also resisting repentance in his own heart. When we become comfortable in our spiritual lives, it becomes harder to be convicted. And when God does convict us in our comfort, we often resist the change He's calling for.
We don't want to reach out to that person because it's uncomfortable. We don't want to share Jesus or invite someone to church because it feels awkward. But this resistance reveals that our flesh is still in enmity with God, and we must bring it into subjection through obedience.
We Don't Really Believe Everyone Should Know God's Mercy
If we truly believed that people in our lives were dying and going to hell without Christ, it would burn inside us to tell them. The fact that it doesn't burn reveals something about our hearts. We use God's mercy as an excuse for our disobedience because, deep down, we don't want everyone to experience that mercy.
God's Heart for Revival
God Desires Abundant Life for Everyone
God's desire is to give everyone He's ever created abundant life. Christ came not just to give life, but abundant life - life that's more than mere existence. Without Christ, everyone lives, but in Christ, we discover what life truly means.
When God's Word and Spirit breathe life into us, it transforms everything. But this requires us to seek Him with hearts that truly desire to hear from Him, without unrepentant sin blocking our relationship.
The Real Nature of Wickedness
Wickedness isn't just open rebellion. According to Scripture, wickedness is misplaced priorities - putting our will before God's will. We are desperately wicked by nature, and only by the grace of God and pursuit of Christ can we overcome this tendency.
We often want forgiveness without repentance, salvation without surrender, grace without transformation, and all the blessings without any of the obedience.
Why We Run from Revival
We Don't Want Revival
The simple truth is that we like the status quo. We prefer comfort, homeostasis, and keeping everything the way it is. We don't like change, and revival requires significant change.
Real revival costs something - it costs us ourselves. We must present our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our reasonable service to God.
We Presume on God's Long-Suffering
Like Jonah heading to the ship, we often think "God will forgive me" as we head in the wrong direction. We presume upon God's grace, assuming His patience means permission to continue in disobedience.
But God's patience is not permission. His mercy doesn't mean He's okay with where we are spiritually. This assumption reveals shallow knowledge of God and resistance to His will.
The Real Cost of Revival
Revival costs us our will, our comfort, and our control. Many of us are control freaks who like making our own decisions. But there is incredible liberty, joy, and peace when God has control of our lives instead of us trying to maintain control ourselves.
We reject God's way because we like our way more. We fear losing control and simply don't want to die to self.
Life Application
If you're running from revival, it's time to stop running and hit the brakes. But stopping isn't enough - you must repent. Turn from yourself and turn to Him.
God's call is still clear. His mercy is still real. His desire is still abundant life for you. The question isn't whether God will forgive - the real question is whether we will repent.
Revival is always available, but it will always cost us ourselves. The choice is ours: continue running in comfort, or surrender to the abundant life God offers.
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever felt God calling you to do something specific, only to find yourself heading in the opposite direction? The story of Jonah offers a powerful mirror for our own spiritual lives, revealing why we sometimes run from the very revival and transformation God wants to bring.
When God's Direction is Crystal Clear
The word of the Lord came to Jonah with unmistakable clarity. God told him exactly where to go - Nineveh - and exactly what to do - cry against their wickedness. Jonah didn't lack direction or knowledge. He knew it was God speaking, and he understood God's character perfectly.
Yet despite this clear divine instruction, Jonah chose to do what he wanted instead of what God commanded. He rose up and fled to Tarshish, the complete opposite direction from Nineveh.
The Downward Path of Disobedience
Notice the progression in Jonah's rebellion: he went down to Joppa, went down into the ship, and continued going down. Running from God is always a downward path. You're never going anywhere good when you're traveling opposite to God's direction.
How often do we, as God's children, hear His word clearly on Sundays and Wednesdays, know His will, and still choose not to obey? Knowing God's word doesn't guarantee obedience.
Why Jonah Really Ran
He Knew God's Character Too Well
Jonah later revealed his true motivation: "I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." Jonah didn't run from God's judgment - he ran from God's mercy. He feared that if he delivered God's message of judgment to Nineveh, they would repent, and God would forgive them.
This reveals something profound about Jonah's heart. He had experienced God's grace, mercy, and long-suffering in his own life. He knew who God was because God had shown him grace repeatedly. But now he didn't want others to experience that same mercy.
Revival Threatened His Preferences
Nineveh was a barbaric nation with a violent reputation. Historically, travelers approaching the city would see walls made of human bones and stakes topped with human remains - a clear message about the brutality within. Jonah simply didn't want to see these people repent and receive God's mercy.
What Does This Reveal About Us?
We Resist Repentance in Our Own Lives
While Jonah resisted repentance in Nineveh, he was also resisting repentance in his own heart. When we become comfortable in our spiritual lives, it becomes harder to be convicted. And when God does convict us in our comfort, we often resist the change He's calling for.
We don't want to reach out to that person because it's uncomfortable. We don't want to share Jesus or invite someone to church because it feels awkward. But this resistance reveals that our flesh is still in enmity with God, and we must bring it into subjection through obedience.
We Don't Really Believe Everyone Should Know God's Mercy
If we truly believed that people in our lives were dying and going to hell without Christ, it would burn inside us to tell them. The fact that it doesn't burn reveals something about our hearts. We use God's mercy as an excuse for our disobedience because, deep down, we don't want everyone to experience that mercy.
God's Heart for Revival
God Desires Abundant Life for Everyone
God's desire is to give everyone He's ever created abundant life. Christ came not just to give life, but abundant life - life that's more than mere existence. Without Christ, everyone lives, but in Christ, we discover what life truly means.
When God's Word and Spirit breathe life into us, it transforms everything. But this requires us to seek Him with hearts that truly desire to hear from Him, without unrepentant sin blocking our relationship.
The Real Nature of Wickedness
Wickedness isn't just open rebellion. According to Scripture, wickedness is misplaced priorities - putting our will before God's will. We are desperately wicked by nature, and only by the grace of God and pursuit of Christ can we overcome this tendency.
We often want forgiveness without repentance, salvation without surrender, grace without transformation, and all the blessings without any of the obedience.
Why We Run from Revival
We Don't Want Revival
The simple truth is that we like the status quo. We prefer comfort, homeostasis, and keeping everything the way it is. We don't like change, and revival requires significant change.
Real revival costs something - it costs us ourselves. We must present our bodies as living sacrifices, which is our reasonable service to God.
We Presume on God's Long-Suffering
Like Jonah heading to the ship, we often think "God will forgive me" as we head in the wrong direction. We presume upon God's grace, assuming His patience means permission to continue in disobedience.
But God's patience is not permission. His mercy doesn't mean He's okay with where we are spiritually. This assumption reveals shallow knowledge of God and resistance to His will.
The Real Cost of Revival
Revival costs us our will, our comfort, and our control. Many of us are control freaks who like making our own decisions. But there is incredible liberty, joy, and peace when God has control of our lives instead of us trying to maintain control ourselves.
We reject God's way because we like our way more. We fear losing control and simply don't want to die to self.
Life Application
If you're running from revival, it's time to stop running and hit the brakes. But stopping isn't enough - you must repent. Turn from yourself and turn to Him.
God's call is still clear. His mercy is still real. His desire is still abundant life for you. The question isn't whether God will forgive - the real question is whether we will repent.
Revival is always available, but it will always cost us ourselves. The choice is ours: continue running in comfort, or surrender to the abundant life God offers.
Questions for Reflection:
- What areas of your life are you running from God's clear direction?
- Are you using God's mercy as an excuse for disobedience rather than motivation for obedience?
- What would it cost you personally to fully surrender to God's will for your life?
- Who in your life needs to hear about God's mercy, and what's preventing you from sharing it with them?
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