The story of Jonah was always one of my favorites as a kid. It is a rather simple story. God instructs Jonah to go preach to a group of people. Instead, Jonah hops on a boat and heads the other way. God causes a huge storm which results in Jonah being swallowed by a whale or some sort of large fish. He spends three days in the fish before he is finally spit out. After all of this Jonah finally listens to God. There is much more to the story. I would definitely encourage you to read it and spend some time studying it.

I believe that the root of all of Jonah’s problems is pride. Jonah believes that he knows better than God. There is a very good reason that this story is in scripture. God knows that we need to hear this because we are no different than Jonah.

Here is what I have learned so far in my life. God has a plan and purpose for everyone. Even if we choose to disobey God will work in and through our disobedience for the greater good. It was a blessing for Jonah to be swallowed up by that fish. What would have happened if God would have not done this? If I had to bet on it God would have used some other person to turn the city of Nineveh around. Obviously, there is no variance in God’s plan, but we do have a choice in whether or not we will take our place in it.

God has made you for a specific purpose in every moment of your life and beyond. He calls us to and from things. I’ve found that when he opens a door that I am hesitant to walk through it and in the same way when he is closing a door I am hesitant to walk out of it. Why is that? The answer is simple and convincing. I am more concerned with my image than with following the plan that the King of Kings has for me.

Hebrews 11:8 (English Standard Version, 2008) says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

I desire to have this type of faith—a faith that says ‘yes’ first even when I do not know where or what God is calling me to. This is a faith that will cause your peers to call you crazy. It may even cause some to see you as a rebel lost at sea. The world often sees lost as found and found as lost. Don’t let fear rule your life. Let faith be in in charge.