But the LORD replied, “Have you any right to be angry?” Jonah 4:4
On our recent 30th anniversary trip, my wife and I found ourselves worshiping in a church on the California coast. We hadn’t done a great deal of research before choosing this church. But it was extremely close to where we were staying and when I googled the pastor’s name, he was associated with people I respect. Beyond this, his name sounded vaguely familiar to me, though I didn’t know why. The best thing about this church? One hour from start to finish! I say this tongue-in-cheek since my sermons, alone, are nearly that long! There were a couple of other things about this service that were different. The music, though very well done, was of the kind that left me straining to hear if anyone other than the folks on stage were singing. I love to hear the congregation. And the guest-preacher’s message, though Biblical, didn’t reflect the kind of expository preaching I’m used to. But I did finally figure out why I recognized the “regular” pastor’s name. I passed a display on the way out on a book he had written, which I had read, No Is a Beautiful Word. This book came to my mind this morning while I was reading another book with a chapter title with the opposite message, “Living the Perpetual Yes.” From the outset, it should be stated that both authors recognize that both Yes and No are appropriate at different times. Yet, there is something to be gleaned from the radically different bent or predispositions portrayed by each of these authors. One is perpetually on guard, seeking to protect my time, my plans, my agenda, ideally with a view to divine purposes. The other is perpetually open to the possibility of going in a different direction than that which I had planned, ideally with a view to divine purposes. I do appreciate the concept of No, especially as it relates to pastoral ministry. With a limited number of hours in the week to accomplish all that needs to be done, the wise stewardship of that time is a must for the sake of the body and for personal sanity. At times, this will mean saying No to time-draining activities so that I can say Yes to God-ordained moments, whether it’s for sermon preparation or connecting with an individual in need of shepherding. Having said this, I also believe we live in a culture where the proclivity toward No often robs us of God-ordained moments. How often do we miss God-moments because we don’t take the time to slow down and say Yes to relationship, whether it’s in the regular fellowship of the body each Sunday or a “chance” meeting with a neighbor? It could simply be a fear of commitment that flows from the desire to guard “me time.” Jonah was a guy who liked the word No. In fact, his No to God may be one of the most profound examples in Scripture. You may recall that God asked Jonah to go to the people of Nineveh and preach on their impending destruction for their sin. Jonah’s No came in the form of hopping a boat heading the opposite direction. We all know how that turned out (i.e., overboard, belly of a big fish, whale-sized vomit). We find out, in chapter 4, why Jonah said No…because God’s agenda conflicted with his agenda. Jonah knew that God’s purpose in the preaching of this message of destruction was to inspire repentance in order to save Nineveh. Jonah, an enemy of the Ninevites, was non-plussed by this plan. In truth, it’s unlikely any of us will have an experience quite this dramatic in response to saying No to God. Even so, it provides food for thought. Do we tend toward No when it comes to God or the things of God? Do we tend to say No to anything that smacks of relational entanglement or which might be costly in time, money or energy? Is No our go-to? Again, at times, No is the right choice. I think of the “Just Say No” to drugs campaign Nancy Reagan promoted. Who could argue with that?!? Yet, there are times when our proclivity to say No may actually be a No to God and His Kingdom purposes. This reality may be what motivated Jesus to say, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). Which brings up a good point. How do you determine when No is appropriate? Or, put another way, when is Yes the wrong answer? Certainly, Christ’s call to seek first God’s Kingdom and righteousness must be a factor in making such determinations. There are some areas in which No is always wrong. A great example is found in forgiveness. Christ’s words a little earlier in that chapter are instructive, “But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matt. 6:15). If we reject forgiveness for others, God will reject forgiveness for us…an intense thought. This does not exclude healthy boundaries. But it does exclude a propensity to refuse forgiveness or to embrace bitterness, as was the case with Jonah. Talk about bitter. Jonah threw a hissy-fit over God’s desire to forgive the Ninevites. (And you gotta love how God reveals Jonah’s selfishness with the provision, then removal, of a vine in chapter 4.) But as someone has said, “bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die!” No to forgiveness for others, according to Scripture, means a divine No to forgiveness for us. Not good. But when it comes to decisions that aren’t clear, there is one decision that is always right…the decision to pray! This isn’t merely saying, “I’ll pray about it,” just before we conveniently forget about the thing altogether. This is praying for divine wisdom with trust that God will lead (see James 1:5-8). Beyond all this, what we are talking about is the refusal to buy into the self-centered No which our culture promotes and to embrace the God-centered Yes taught in Scripture and modeled by our Lord! After all, it is because Jesus said Yes to the cross, Yes to the nails, Yes to the greatest sacrifice imaginable that He was able to destroy the most unthinkable No imaginable! To the God who said Yes to forgiveness, Yes to adoption as sons and daughters, Yes to life…may we learn to live the perpetual YES!
1 Comment
Darryl Staszewski
11/14/2022 07:20:14 am
Thank you for your words.
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Dan GannonDan has ministered at Renton Bible Church, with his wife Debbie, since 2003. Archives
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