Are You Constructive or Destructive?

          “Sometimes people wish that judgment and destruction would come upon sinful people whose wickedness seems to demand immediate punishment. But God is more merciful than we can imagine. He feels compassion for the sinners we want judged, and he devises plans to bring them to Himself. What is your attitude toward those who are especially wicked? Do you want them destroyed? Or do you wish they could experience God’s mercy and forgiveness?” (Life Application Study Bible KJV, pg. 1270, notes on Jonah 4:10,11)

          

     I just finished reading Jonah and it resonates today. As people, we can be hard headed, especially Christians. That can hinder us from growing. We want to grow. Yet, we get persecuted and end up resenting those that are doing the persecuting. We don’t want them being success and when they are saved, many of us have issues with God’s mercy towards them, but we are not supposed to be this way.

     Jesus was very clear on how to deal with those that are not our friends. “(43) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy, (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (45) that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? (47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (48) be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” Matthew 5:43-48.

          

     I’m aware that it is hard to feel love for those that constantly hate you. It’s not easy to be called names. It hurts, but it also hurt Jesus to be nailed to the cross. It hurt Jesus to see people be sinful. Jesus went through a lot for us out of love. Therefore, we are called to be constructive and not destructive.

          

     For those that don’t know what it means, constructive means “serving a useful purpose; tending to build up,” (Google). We want to serve a useful purpose and to build people up. We don’t want destruction for humanity but for all of those lost to be saved. Get rid of the Jonah attitude, and rejoice when someone is saved, even if it is someone you never got along with. Salvation is worth the celebration.

Your Sister in Christ,

Mary