A Case of the Terrible Twos

"Just kill me now, Lord! . . . " Jonah 4:3 NLT

Temper tantrums: if you have spent any considerable amount of time with a young child, you know exactly what one looks like.  With my niece, it always began with the pout-face and then the intensity level rose like an exponential curve.  From wailing and kicking to rolling around and crying, she covered all the bases. 

Photo from www.fordjordan.com

When I think about my relationship with God, I’m sure that he can attest to my “terrible-two” years. I like to think I have since graduated into a more mature relationship with Christ with only the occasional bad days.  As a child, Jonah was frequently used as a lesson of obedience but it appears as though he never quite got over his case of the terrible twos. I can assure you that history taught me to not run from the Lord, especially near water.

           

In the four short chapters of Jonah, rather than a book of prophesies for God’s people, as would be expected, it is a narrative of Jonah’s relationship with God. With a better understanding of how God works, I now wonder if the purpose of Jonah’s story is not for the lesson of obedience he demonstrates so well.

            

I believe Jonah’s story illustrates the realities that every person called by God can, has, or will experience along the way. Jonah’s story is one of personal desire overriding God’s, the proximity of depression and failure in life, and the beautiful nature in which God works to redirect our lives – despite the tantrums we may throw.  The best message Jonah sends is not through his prophecy but in his tantrum. It is one we can relate to and one that we may inspire us to renew our hope in God, especially when the urges to kick and scream arise.