“If you could be any Bible character, who would you be?”
I pondered this interesting (yet, random) question a few weeks ago. It just popped into my head out of the blue when doing some mundane housework.
Instantly, I started thinking about all the fantastic men and women of the faith. Quickly my thoughts ranged from Esther to David, Ruth, and Paul, and let’s not forget about Mary, the mother of Jesus! Each character was unique and undoubtedly had an important role to play. Without them, the beautiful story of the Bible wouldn’t be the same.
Before I could pick one for myself, the Lord did.
“You’re like Jonah.”
I was offended.
“JONAH? Lord, you must be joking. I’m not Jonah. I’ve never told you I wouldn’t go minister to sinners, and I sure haven’t been swallowed by a fish!”
Gentle pricking at my heart ensued, and I started trying to make the connection that the Lord was obviously trying to reveal.
Quickly, I knew it. It wasn’t about my lack of traveling; He was referring to my lack of restoration. The real reason Jonah is a troubling Bible character isn’t that he lived in the belly of a fish for a few days. No, it’s because He knew that God was gracious enough to forgive every-last one of the worst Ninevites, but in Jonah’s mind, they weren’t worthy of God’s goodness.
Jonah 4:1-2 (NIV) reads:
He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.
Jonah, then, goes on to pout. He whines on and on about how he wanted to die because he was so angry and bitter. Even after the Lord saved him from the belly of a fish and provided everything Jonah would ever need, it still wasn’t good enough.
The last two verses of the book (Jonah 4:10-11) revealed the Lord’s response.
But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
I used to read this story and grimace. It just isn’t a hope-filled story, and what really was the point? He ran, he went, and then he was bitter that God changed lives. What kind of awful person does that? Me.
You see, I don’t exactly know what Jonah’s connection was with those Ninevites. I know that before Jesus saved them, they were awful and no good. But did Jonah have a one-on-one encounter with one of them beforehand? Did they hurt him or someone he loved? I don’t really know.
What I do know is that I have relationships in my life where I refuse to let the Lord heal. Those people hurt me. And even worse, those people hurt someone I love. Hurting my feelings is one thing, but if you come after my people? You, my friend, are far from my grace. And truthfully, I know that the Lord can heal and mend those moments and relationships, but just like Jonah, I don’t want them fixed. Instead, I want to pout.
Amid my negative attitude, I forget.
He didn’t have to die for me.
He didn’t have to save me.
He didn’t have to forgive my multitude of sins.
He didn’t have to grant me compassion amidst my failures.
But He did. And in the same regard, He wants to do that for every person that has ever hurt, been hurt, wanted to hurt someone, made a mistake, and even caused an argument. His only problem? Our wicked hearts try to thwart His plans. He will still make way for His plans to succeed. But wouldn’t it be better for everyone if, instead of being angry at His compassion, we were joyful at the thought of it?
The Lord wants to mend, restore, and create beautiful lives out of broken situations. So why don’t we let Him? I don’t want the last verse of my story to be filled with the Lord rebuking my bitterness and anger. I want it to glorify Him and every gift He’s given me.
