Dear Friend,

Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

“The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ‘Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.’ But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.”

You see ehn, many of us are not the stereotypical disobedient child. We’re not out here dragging God’s name through the mud or living recklessly. In fact, if we judged obedience by how well we serve in church or how ‘well-behaved’ we look online, we’d pass with flying colors. But this is where it gets tricky disobedience isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s quiet, neat, and even applauded.

Sometimes it sounds like this: “God, I’m not running from You o. I’m just not going to Nineveh. In fact, I’ll go to Tarshish and even preach there if You want.”

Let’s call it what it is selective obedience. The kind that says, “I’m not doing badly, I’m just not doing that.”

The Mask of Activity:

Jonah’s story is such a mirror. God gave him a very specific instruction, and Jonah, a prophet (imagine oh!), decided to reroute. He didn’t go to a brothel or start a crime syndicate. He just went in the opposite direction of what God told him. And that alone was disobedience.

In our own way, we sometimes convince ourselves that partial obedience is obedience. We serve everywhere leading, praying, mentoring but when God puts a weight on something specific, something scary, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar, we shelf it.

“I’m not doing bad.” But are you doing what God actually said? Obedience isn’t about volume; it’s about alignment. It’s not about how much you’re doing, but whether what you’re doing is what God is asking for in this season.

Why We Say No Without Saying No

We say things like: “I need to pray about it more.” (Meanwhile, we’ve been praying for 2 years.)

“I’m waiting for confirmation.” (Even after dreams, prophecies, and inner conviction.)

“I don’t think I’m ready.” (Which may be true, but who told you God needs you to feel ready?)

We spiritualize delay. We romanticise redirection. But obedience is better than sacrifice even the sacrificial ones dressed in service, worship, and performance.

God’s Instruction is Not a Suggestion:

There’s a reason Nineveh was God’s assignment for Jonah. Tarshish may have looked safer, more predictable, even more promising. But that wasn’t where grace was waiting.

When we replace the “what” God said with the “what we prefer,” we start walking in manufactured outcomes. It may still bear fruit but not the fruit of obedience. Not the fruit that pleases the Father.

The Silent Drift:

Here’s the thing: disobedience is not always defiant. Sometimes, it’s quiet. Hidden in busyness. Dressed in church clothes. Smiling on the ‘gram. But deep down, God knows this isn’t what I asked you to do.

Tarshish will always have a boat. There will always be a logical, well-lit, easier option. But the question is is it what God asked? You’re not doing bad, love. But are you doing that thing He asked?

This week, go back. Pick up that instruction. Dust it off. Ask for help. Begin again. He’s not waiting in Tarshish. He’s waiting in Nineveh.

Selah

And I will see you next week.