May 18

For me, I look forward to Mondays, as it's the day for a reset. A start over. Even a reconnect to the Lord and His purposes.

I began this morning reading Jonah; not my favorite character. God says "go," Jonah goes the opposite direction. Storm. Big fish. Vomit. Then to Nineveh, proclaim God's judgment. People repent. The government repents. Judgment averted.

Would've been a nice, air tight, happy ending story. If it ended with chapter 3. But it doesn't.

Jonah wanted to see God's judgment exercised. He sits on a hill waiting for the show. Fire and brimstone maybe. Maybe a meteor. A massive explosion would've been fun.

A little tree pops up. Sunshade. Next day, no more little tree. Jonah is none too pleased. Like any Alaskan, he'd rather die than sit out under the open sun.

God says, "Does it make sense to you to be angry about the plant?" Jonah says, "You bet it does!"

God then says, "You miss the little tree that you did not plant or water; you're not the one who made it grow. Or die."

Then God drops the mic. "Should I not pity Nineveh?" Not temporary sunshade, but people. Real people. 120,000 of them. They don't know right from wrong."

Jonah was thinking like a weekender. He wanted self-indulgence in his own comfort while waiting for others to fry. Kind of like dinner and a show.

It's easy to not like Jonah. But in him I can see me.

Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

I need a Monday reset. I need the Spirit's gentle (or, as needed, brutal) reminder that it's not all about me. It's about exercising my service to Jesus through my service to other people. It's about sharing gospel hope.

Like Jesus, "wishing that none would perish."

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau