I like metaphors because they compare something we are learning about to something that we are familiar with.  This helps us more quickly understand the new thing.

For example, life as a Christian is somewhat like playing tennis with God.  In this game of tennis there are different rules than when mere mortals play against each other:

• There is one ball.
• God serves, and you either hit it back, or go get it and then hit it back for God to hit it back to you. (You control how long the delay is between God’s serve, and when you hit it back over the net. Some people never go get the ball.  They say God doesn’t speak to them.  They repeatedly ask God to serve the ball.  They may get upset that He doesn’t serve the ball.  They don’t notice that the ball is still on their side of the court… right where it rolled to when they didn’t immediately hit it back to God.)

 

• No amount of pleading or whining or displays of temper will cause God to go get the ball.
• You don’t get the opportunity to ask for a different ball.  (Well, you can ask, but as I said previously there is one ball.)

Jonah (from the book of Jonah) didn’t want to hit his ball back.  He purposely avoided doing what God told him to do.  Things didn’t work out so well for him.  (I like understatement, too.)  In the end he decided to give up and do as he was told.  He got the ball and hit it back.

He is the potter, and we are the clay. He decides what we are to do. We are to obey, not negotiate, nor improvise.