I’ve done this. I’ve became Jonah. Because after a while, you see so much evil and wickedness, that you lose your love. You become calloused. Unsympathetic. And lose your care for others because of how much evil they do.
And for those that don’t know the story of Jonah—Jonah was a prophet called by God to give a warning of judgement and preach repentance to a evil and wicked city called Nineveh. But Jonah rebelled against God and did not do it because he did not want to see the city turn away from their sins and be saved.
Here is another summary:
Jonah’s fear and pride cause him to run from God. He does not wish to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people, as God has commanded, because he feels they are his enemies, and he is convinced that God will not carry out his threat to destroy the city. Instead he boards a ship for Tarshish, which is in the opposite direction. Soon a raging storm causes the crew to cast lots and determine that Jonah is the problem. They throw him overboard, and he is swallowed by a great fish. In its belly for 3 days and 3 nights, Jonah repents of his sin to God, and the fish vomits him up on dry land (we wonder what took him so long to repent). Jonah then makes the 500-mile trip to Nineveh and leads the city in a great revival. But the prophet is displeased (actually pouts) instead of being thankful when Nineveh repents. Jonah learns his lesson, however, when God uses a wind, a gourd, and a worm to teach him that He is merciful.
GotQuestions
You start to become like Jonah. I did that. I metaphorically sat under a tree and said, “Let them all perish. They deserve it.” And many times, I become a little more than Jonah, “Let them all perish. Destroy this evil and wicked world even if it means destroying me with it, it’ll be better off, more good than what it is today.”
God’s reminder…
But God reminds me that I was one of them before. I was wicked just like them. And He forgave me for all that I did. And even more so, He reminds me that I’m not bulletproof. I’m not strong or smart or brave or confident or even good at all… not without Him.
So why shouldn’t He forgive them as well? I didn’t know better, and neither do they. So why shouldn’t they be cared about to? Why shouldn’t they be given the gospel and taught as I was taught? Why shouldn’t they be reached out to and given the gospel and shown them God as it was done to me?
When I was them, I would have wanted to be saved, to be better. To be taught. To be cared about and forgiven. When I was them, the one thing I needed was love and care. To be taken in, nurtured, care for, hugged, warmed, loved and not castaway. Not outcast and forsaken.
God does not outcast His people, He doesn’t forsake us. He loves and cares, and that’s what He did for me. He gives mercy and kindness. So why shouldn’t that be done for them?
Renewing your love for people
So He stirs up my care for them. My compassion for people. Melts my heart of stone, warms my heart of ice. He holds a mirror up to me and shows me the hypocrite.
He lets me loose and distances Himself from me… to remind me who I would be without Him, if no one had reached out to share Him with me. Then He returns back to me, and shows me who I am with Him… because someone shared the gospel with me. And He sends me off to do what I should’ve done before, just as it was with Jonah, to share the gospel with others. And to love and care with great compassion for His people, as He did and does for me.