God gave us anger as an emotion, but for what God wanted us to use as a reflection inwardly, this world has used outwardly, as hatred towards others.
I love Jonah. This Prophet was honest if nothing else, but Jonah was blatant in his disgust of God for asking him to go to Nineveh, so Jonah deliberately went the opposite way that God was asking him to go.
Yet, we can so easily judge the person by his outward actions. Scholars believe that the people of Nineveh killed Jonah’s family, hence the bitterness towards God wanting to save those people.
Have you ever realised that you hated a people group, because of the actions of a few?
I have! Honestly, I hated where I was from. I tarnished everyone with the same brush, because of being rejected as a child. I felt ”hate” boil uncontrollably within my veins – like a bubbling pot of tar that stuck to the very depths of my inner being
When you think about Jonah’s experience with Nineveh, I think of how I felt, and I think Jonah was justified with his decision.
But, God asks Jonah twice about whether it was right for him to be angry at the situation at hand? Friends, how often, like Jonah, do we ignore God when He is asking something that we don’t want to hear? Yet, on the second time, Jonah declared it was justified, and he was so angry, that he wished himself dead.
How many lives have been lost over anger?
Was my anger justified? Absolutely, but I couldn’t hate others when God is love…
Receiving God’s love allowed me to accept the love of those who had hurt me. It was a journey where God walked right by my side, but He used the pain and anger I felt, as a catalyst for a breakthrough, when I turned to Him.
Friends, when I let God love me, there was a paradigm shift for myself to love not only the people I hated, but I learnt to love myself
Jonah showed no compassion with the message he gave to the people of Nineveh. Yet, repentance came instantly when an opportunity to change was provided.
I don’t know what you have experienced, but I know personally of the redemptive love of God, and while we might not be in the place to let go, and love the people we hate. I promise that if you let go of the hate, watch what happens when God loves them instead
Categories: Jonah
