Sitting in church, a young girl walks in. She is carrying a baby on her hip and holding the hand of another small child. You look and realize you know her. You know that each of those children have different fathers, and that the young girl has “been around”. She nervously looks for a place to sit and finds a seat near the front. You roll your eyes because, really, what is she doing here?

During altar call, the young girl, with both kids in tow, makes her way down. She kneels at the altar and starts to cry. The baby is asleep in her arms and the small child quietly hold mom’s hand and watches. As the preacher kneels down to pray with her, she looks up at him and smiles. Again, you roll your eyes. Why is he even bothering you think to yourself. In your mind, you think of the words she has been called and think, “how true they are!”

After the young girl and preacher stand, he waves his hands for the music to stop. He tells the congregation that the young girl wants to become a member. Everyone murmurs in agreement except you. Really, you think! What will people think??

As you shake your head, the young girl asks to say something. In a shaky voice, she gives a short story of her sordid past and how God saved her the previous night. She tells how she was heading down the wrong path with the prospect of losing her children. She tells how God spoke to her and showed her another way. And she tells how he led her here to serve Him.

Everyone lifts their hands and praises God for what He has done in this young girl’s life. Everyone except you. Instead, you get up and walk out. You just can’t believe what went on. How could God save someone so messed up and bring them here?? Do you have a past? Maybe, maybe not. That is between you and God. But you’ve been a righteous member of this church for years.

So do you ever change your opinion on this young girl? We may never know.

Just like Jonah.

God told him to go and warn Nineveh of coming judgement due to the sins and evil ways they were living. At first Jonah ran. Was he scared? No. He was being a brat. He didn’t want to warn them of anything. He hated them. He wanted them to be destroyed.

When Jonah finally did warn them, they repented, in sackcloth. (Jonah 3:5)

So Jonah should be happy, right? WRONG!

He was just like the lady in church in my story above! How dare God save them?! How could God save a people so evil and sinful?

So, just like the lady, Jonah left. Just like the lady, he didn’t stay around to see the results of a life saved. Instead, Jonah went outside the city and sat under a tree and pouted. (Jonah 4:5-6) We never know if Jonah changed his attitude or his opinion. The bible doesn’t tell us.

Just as my story doesn’t tell us. Because I want you to put yourself in the lady’s place. Insert your name instead. How will your story end? Will you continue in your way of thinking? Or will you realize that God came to save ALL people? The good, the bad and the ugly.

So how does YOUR story end? Brat or not? 😉