P.P.P.

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"It is better for me to die than to live". Jonah 4:8. NKJV

Jonah has been called the pouting prophet and just by reading the four chapters about him, it's not hard to see why. After Jonah had finally obeyed God and gone to Nineveh to declare God's Word to them, he went outside of the great city and sulked and threw a major pity party because he felt God should have wiped them all out. When he didn't, Jonah wished death upon himself.

I've named today's reading, 'P.P.P. - Pity Party People.' We can be so like this at times; especially when somebody does us wrong and hurts us. We want God to sort them out. In fact, at times, we want to sort them out, forget we're a Christian for a day and give the person a jolly good sorting. We hold imaginary conversations with them and really believe that we are doing this. We see them in the street and try to avoid them. In church when they come to hug us, we pray that we'll be raptured before they even touch us.

We focus on something that hasn't even happened and hold an inquest at home, with our partner, trying to drag them into the equation and gain their support. When this fails, we feel sorry for ourselves, pout, slam doors and then hold the pity party with only ourselves invited.

We've all done it. At times, I've felt that could write a book about some people I've met and many of them Christians. I have dreamt about all I could put into this book, judging, blaming, exposing and calling them all of the names that I can think of. Yes, I could have written a best seller about them. That is, until I realised that God has considered writing one about me, which would be much fatter, full of everything that I have ever done and very costly to my walk with Him. I quickly repented.

God knows what we're like. He knows that it can be difficult at times. Let's face it, we're in a family - the family of God; and at times families can be very dysfunctional and troublesome. We have to give and take. Look how God is with us. How many times have we disappointed Him and angered Him but, because of Jesus, when we have repented, we have received a clean bill. 

Is there someone at this moment who you're finding difficult to handle? Ask God to show you something nice about them. Ask God to show them something nice about you. It is a two-way thing you know. You may get on their nerves as much as they get on yours. Bend a little. Reach out to them. Give them a call and invite them out for coffee - if that's possible. Pray for them; try and show them the respect and love that Jesus shows you. That's what God expects. Don't be a P.P.P. any longer. 

I'd love to hear from you.  dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com