Good Lesson - Bad Example

 Hello All,

While reading my Bible lately, I’ve come across some new (to me, at least) thoughts that I want to share with you this morning.  I’m pretty sure you’ve heard enough about our adventures and woes lately.  I do want to assure you that the Kathmandu bug we brought home has been sent packing … although Tony’s doctor has been home sick since the day after he went to see him. Do you think ……? Naw.

The new insights I’ve been thinking about have triggered something I heard in Sunday School once. It went something like, “Everyone in life has a purpose, even if it’s to serve as a bad example.” 

I’m not sure if my Sunday School teacher was aware of it, but she was actually quoting from a fellow by the name of Carroll Bryant. He’s had a pretty checkered career, and I’ll stop short of recommending him, except to say that he’s credited for lots and lots of quotes, some of which are pretty quotable.  For instance,

“Slap stick comedy is really funny.  Unless you’re the one who’s getting slapped with the stick.” 

“You can spend your life judging people or, you can spend it making friends, take your pick.”

“Love is a two-way street, constantly under construction.”

So back to the one about being good as a bad example…  let’s talk about Jonah.  We all remember him, but why?

Well, for one thing, he was a very bad example.  He HEARD the unmistakable word of God and then ……. ran the other way.  He became the children’s story for all the ages of what NOT to do.

The message I always got was, “Listen to God.  Do what God says or terrible things may happen to you!”

But back to his story.  He’s running from God. A storm comes up. He’s down below, taking a nap (so he says), It wasn’t till the terrified crew drew straws and Jonah came up short, that he realised the gig was up.  (Did he really think he could escape from God? I mean, he was a PROPHET, after all!). 

When the crew asked him directly, “What have you done?”, Jonah did the only thing he could do: “Throw me overboard,” he insisted.   They did, and what happened?  Of course, we all know, the sea was immediately calm.  But, and here’s my point:  what I’ve neglected to notice all my life was the next few sentences, “Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord and made vows” (Jonah 1:16-17).

God used Jonah, as a bad example, to bring this crew to faith!

Wow, this should give us great courage.  I hope I don’t find out in eternity that someone followed Christ because of my bad example, but then, if I was there hearing about it, I could still rejoice and give God the glory for using even my failures. 

So think on that this week.  How can you in a more gentle and glamorous way, point people to the wonderful Saviour? Don’t TRY to be a bad example, but if you do, don’t despair.

And on that note, I just have to throw in one more Carroll quote as I sit here looking at Tony’s grandmother’s quilt hanging on our wall, “Love should feel like a hand sewn quilt made by Grandma, wrapping you up on a cold winter morning”.

Feel the love? I hope so! Have a BLESSED week, OBEYING God the first time He asks.

Marsha


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