We may have heard the Old Testament story of Jonah our entire lives, but have we considered what God wants us to learn from it? Jonah is an example of what can happen to us if we think our ideas are superior to God’s. Jonah is called to warn the city of Nineveh of God’s wrath, but Jonah flees to Joppa out of fear. Upon Jonah’s boarding of the ship of his choice, God sends a storm. We see Jonah go to the belly of the boat as he knows the storm is a result of his disobedience. Rather than questioning the reality of what happened to Jonah, we must consider the metaphor of his story. Our lives will be in turmoil if we ignore God’s calling in our lives. In the hustle and bustle of daily life, God can be the first thing we forget, unaware that we need him the most. 

We tend to think that disobedience only affects us, but it can also impact other aspects of our lives. Similar to the other people on the boat, our sins can have a domino effect on other people and things. They may or may not have catastrophic rebounds, but we must seek forgiveness. It may be easy to wish ill will and do things our way, but God’s way will lead to our success. We are supposed to desire forgiveness for everyone, including our enemies, and share the message of God’s love with others.