Everyone Gets a Second Chance: Wisdom From the Story of Jonahنموونە

Running From God

The story of Jonah begins with God calling the prophet Jonah to do something important.

But wait a minute—what is a prophet, and what do they do?

Most people think of a prophet as a kind of fortune teller, but their real job is to be a truth teller. In the Bible, prophets were people fully devoted to God and committed to speaking hard truth.

The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and several others received similar callings from God, telling them to confront injustice, hold spiritual leaders accountable, and present a road map to a better future. Every time God called His prophets, they answered with wholehearted devotion—no matter the discomfort, rejection, threats, and mockery they received.

Then we get to Jonah.

Like all prophets, he receives an uncomfortable calling. God tells him to go to Nineveh—the capital of one of the most violent empires in human history—and confront the sin going on there. What kind of sin are we talking about? Terror, slavery, genocide, torture; name an atrocity, and they’ve done it. Repeatedly.

Any other prophet in the Bible would have likely said something like, “Wow, that’s scary, but since God called me, I’m going.” Not Jonah. Jonah runs away instead. Why? We’ll find out in a few days, but here’s a spoiler: It’s not because he’s afraid.

Regardless of Jonah’s motivation, God had given him a chance to be obedient, and he blew it. God told him to go east to Nineveh, and Jonah ran to the west. The Bible says Jonah booked a trip to Tarshish—basically as far away as he could get. In today’s travel terms, he bought a one-way ticket to Antarctica.

While Jonah’s level of disobedience is almost comically extreme, it’s also relatable. Sometimes when we read a Scripture verse in which Jesus tells us to give generously, serve sacrificially, or love our enemies, we might find ourselves responding just like Jonah. Instead of stepping out in faith-filled obedience, we can be tempted to run away and hide from—or fight against—God’s uncomfortable calling on our lives.

Or we might read a passage encouraging us to avoid self-destructive habits and tell ourselves, This is really no big deal, I’ve got everything under control. Yet, beneath the surface, feelings of jealousy, fear, desire, and anger slowly erode our self-worth and relationships.

But here’s the good news that we’ll explore over the next several days—God loves second, third, thirty-third, and one-hundred-and-fifty-seventh chances. This won’t be the only time Jonah fails in this story, yet God will meet each failure with new second chances.

He gave Jonah countless second chances, and He can do the same for you. Does this mean we’re allowed to keep rebelling without consequences? Of course not.

Sin is destructive and often harms us and others, leaving behind lasting consequences. Yes, God offers forgiveness, but it’s not so we can just keep on sinning the same as always; it’s so we can live free from guilt as we pursue His calling to live and love like Jesus. As we draw closer to Jesus—instead of running away—He transforms us to become more like Him, reducing the harm we cause ourselves and others, and bringing deep purpose and joy instead.

Challenge: Is there a calling from God that you’ve been passively ignoring or actively running from? Don’t wait until you start experiencing negative consequences. Instead, choose to run toward God. His way isn’t always easy or comfortable, but it’s infinitely better than a lifetime of running from Him.