How to Not Overcomplicate Your Life: A Study on JonahSample

Day Three - Don’t Play God

He prayed to the Lord, “O Lord, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.” Jonah 4:2 (NIV)

On Day One of this devotional, we noted that Nineveh had a pretty bad reputation. And while we don’t know Jonah’s exact fears or worries, we know from Jonah 4:2 that he did not, under any circumstances, want God to save Nineveh. So when God chose to show mercy, Jonah got angry and isolated himself outside the city walls.

It’s easy to judge Jonah for his attitude — who gets mad when God shows mercy?! Yet when we see God bless others we don’t like, we grumble at the unfairness of it all too. We wonder, “Why did she get that?” or “Why would they pick him for that opportunity?”

Time for some hard truth: You’re not God. You don’t always know best. And the quickest way to derail your calling and complicate your life is to start playing God. When you place yourself in the judge’s seat and start trying to decide who is worthy of what, you’re asking for drama, bitterness, and frustration to invade your life.

When we read Jonah’s words to God, it’s obvious he’s angry — but studies show anger is usually a secondary emotion. Translation: We tend to get angry to protect ourselves from a more vulnerable emotion, like fear, rejection, jealousy, or disappointment. We don’t know what Jonah’s anger might have been masking, but it’s obvious he thought God didn’t make a good choice by saving Nineveh.

Maybe you’re questioning God right now. Maybe you’re not mad over someone else’s miracle, but you can’t understand why some things are working out for certain people and not for you. Be careful obsessing over thoughts like that or you could find yourself like Jonah — isolated, anxious, and alone. Let God be God. He’s really good at it.

The book of Jonah ends with a question from God: Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh… ? God’s biggest concern is always for His people. Shouldn’t ours be as well? The quickest way to complicate your life is to make yourself the center of it. Rather than playing God, be the hands and feet of Jesus. Look for ways to help, serve, and bless those around you.

Challenge: Ask God to open your eyes to see others through His eyes, not yours. You can't practice peace if you're dwelling on drama. What’s one practical step you can take this week to show love to others around you, whether you agree with them or not?