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

Ever Been Angry at God?

In today’s final passage from Jonah, you’ll learn the mystery of why Jonah ran from God in chapter 1. It wasn’t fear of pain or death. It was fear that God would forgive Jonah’s enemies.

Jonah likes getting second chances, especially when they get him out of the belly of a fish. But he has no room in his heart for the Ninevites to get their second chance.

That’s why this book is so powerful—it dives into a challenging, honest, and hard-to-talk-about subject: How do we follow a God who loves us and our enemies?

Jonah’s anger at the Ninevites makes sense. Many people he passed in the streets likely had committed terrible atrocities, even by the standards of the ancient world. Some may have even done horrible things to Jonah’s own people. Perhaps even his relatives.

If there’s someone you hate, you probably have some good reasons. Maybe they did or said something that you can’t forgive. Or they were absent when you needed them the most. Whatever your reason, it makes sense that you don’t like them and that it’s hard to reconcile God’s equal love for you and them.

So what’s the answer? How do we love God when He loves the people we’re tempted to hate? Look back in the story for clues. Like the older brother in the prodigal son story, Jonah feels better than others. Jonah wants God to be for him and against his enemies. But that’s not how God operates—He loves everyone.

Throughout history, God’s people have struggled to embrace this idea. We believe the lie that God is for our specific people group, nation, political party, or faith tradition and that He’s against our opponents. But that’s not the case. He’s not on anyone’s side. Instead, He’s inviting us to join His side—the side of peace, love, and forgiveness. The side that resolves differences and turns enemies into friends.

So what would you do if you were Jonah? How would you respond if God saved thousands of people who come from a place you don’t like or belong to a party you’re opposed to? Or if He saved the one person who’s the hardest for you to love? And what if God wanted you to be the one to share His love with them?

Do you see how this story is about so much more than a big fish? It’s about the two sides of God’s forgiveness—the joy of receiving forgiveness and the challenge of seeing our enemies receive the same forgiveness.

Will we celebrate new members of God’s global family, or will we remain skeptical, critical, or resentful? It’s not a simple question to answer. But in moments when we feel tempted to follow Jonah’s lead, remember the second chances God’s given you. He loved you, even when you were far from Him, and He sacrificed Himself for you.

You didn’t deserve it; no one does. And that’s the point. So let’s put down our internal spiritual scorecard. Some sins carry more significant earthly consequences than others, but all sin separates us from God, so we all need God’s grace equally.

In the Book of Jonah, everyone gets a second chance because everyone needs a second chance. So keep an eye out for God giving you second chances. They might be through wake-up call moments of clarity, rock bottom moments, or powerful reminders of God’s limitless forgiveness. And as we look for second chances, let’s make a habit of reminding others of God’s love of second chances—even people we don’t like at first.

Challenge: Is there someone you know who needs a reminder of God’s limitless grace and forgiveness? Share this Finds article to encourage them today.