Everyone knows that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, but that’s only half the story.

This is where the story gets interesting:

He preaches to the Ninevites, they repent. God relents–he gives grace to the people for their humility. Jonah gets mad.

He should have been rejoicing with the angels over an entire city that repented. But he preached because God told him to, not because he loved the people—it was his job.

He should have been excited to be the only prophet in the Bible who preaches to a people who turn from their sin. But Jonah was concerned about his reputation. He wanted God to come through on his vengeance because he would be proved true. God was showing his steadfast love and mercy.

Jonah was worshipping himself.

Ironically, Jonah says in the belly of the whale, “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.”

Unfortunately, I can relate to Jonah a lot. I forfeit God’s grace when I make ministry my job. I get worn out and worn down by people. The people become my problem. But when I love people as an act of worship to God, the Lord gives me energy and strength to bear people’s burdens.

I worship myself when I am most concerned about my own image. When I forfeit my reputation for the needs of other people, God gives me the grace to be able to love people genuinely, not because they have something that I can profit from.

God wants me to have his heart. One that is compassionate and gracious; abounding in love. He wants me to have a heart for people. “But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?" Jonah 4:11