“’You don’t have enough faith,’ Jesus told them. ‘I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.’” – Matthew 17:20
As we continue to unpack the stories of well-known Old Testament characters, we come to another character we can learn a lot from. Jonah is someone who we can learn a lot from because not only did God call him out of his comfort zone, but his life was lived on a timeline just like your life and mine.
Specifically, I’m talking about a spiritual timeline. When you look at Jonah’s story, you can see how his faithfulness to God and his obedience were really like a rollercoaster. They were UP in some seasons, and they were DOWN in some seasons.
Most of us can probably relate to that. We know what it is like to be on fire for God, living for God, sharing Him with other people, giving generously to build His Kingdom, worshipping Him passionately, serving in the church, and using our gifts.
Most of us can recall seasons in our life where we were ALL IN, but at the same time, we can probably identify other seasons where we weren’t as devoted to the Lord…seasons where we were distracted by the world, living in sin, or disobeying God’s commands in our life.
While we might be able to relate to this type of faith, that does not mean it is by any sense ideal. God does not desire our faith journey to replicate a rollercoaster. Many people turn to God and are all-in when life is tough, and they need help. But as soon as life starts going up, they abandon God, and they don’t think they need Him anymore.
For others, it might be the exact opposite. Regardless of which situation you relate to, God wants us to remain close to Him at ALL TIMES. God does not like when we struggle to trust Him or when we don’t think we need Him.
No matter where you are, whether you are in a season of struggle or a season of harvest, it can all change in the blink of an eye. Blessing or punishment can strike faster than you can imagine. No matter the circumstances, no matter the season, let your faith ride high, and don’t fall into the rollercoaster of faith that so many struggle with.