Why Not?

Why should I not be concerned for that great city? - Jonah 4:11

Jonah didn’t like what God had called him to do. It seemed hard. It was inconvenient. And he was supposed to serve people he didn’t like. Does that sound familiar at all? Maybe a bit like your life?

So what did Jonah do with all of this knotted-up anxiety, dislike, and annoyance? He whined to God. Stomped off and sat in a corner. Got pouty. Threw a temper tantrum. You know, the usual.

So God responds with this remarkable line: “Why should I not be concerned for that great city?” (Jonah 4:11) Basically, God seems to be saying, “Look, I know my plans to love and serve this big, unmanageable city don’t fit your dream job, but what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to let tens of thousands of people wreck their own lives by their poor decisions? Am I supposed to not care about the very real needs of the urban poor and those on the margins? Am I supposed to give up on them?”

Essentially God says to Jonah, “Get over yourself. Go and serve.”

What’s God saying to you today?