The consequences of our decisions and actions

Few stories are as fascinating as that of Jonah. I still remember how in Sunday school for children we sang the 'chorus' about this Hebrew prophet and his encounter with the huge fish. And all because he 'did not heed the word of God'. But this story is a bit more complex than the lyrics of this nursery rhyme. Actually this story has a lot to tell us about the consequences of our decisions and actions. In this story Jonah defies God's command both by decision (refusing to obey) and by action (setting sail in the opposite direction of his assigned mission).

The story tells us that while on the high seas a noisy storm was unleashed. Between a rough sea and some waves that destroyed the barge, there was one who disobeyed along with another group of people who had absolutely nothing to do with the cause of that storm. Jonah's life was just one of those in danger. Here is one of the principles of this story! Our disobedience always has consequences for those who live with us. We are not beings disconnected from our social context. What I decide and do affects both me and my spouse, my children, my neighbors, my church, and my society.

It is important to recognize that this was also the reality of the people of Nineveh. The evil that reigned in that city produced a divine mandate of massive destruction. God's decree came even though children, the elderly, animals, and vegetation certainly resided in Nineveh. But just as Jonah's bad decisions caused negative consequences for those who traveled with him, so the collective decisions and actions of one people had consequences for everyone in Nineveh.

Now, God was able to let Jonah die by drowning and find another messenger. God was also able to annihilate the people of Nineveh without warning after so much damage they caused to the people of Israel. Here is another important principle about the character of God. In his absolute sovereignty, God makes the decision to establish a deal with human beings even when we do not deserve it. However, the story does not end there.

Both Jonah and the people of Nineveh had to assume a certain level of personal and collective responsibility in response to God's decree for their lives. After his rendezvous with the great fish, the prophet set out (almost reluctantly) toward the city that even he detested. It is important to note that after fulfilling his mission, Jonah needed to continue his transformation process. The people of Nineveh had to deal with a shocking news of destruction which led them to collectively make amends for their bad decisions and actions.

“… .Close all in rough clothes as a sign of pain, and cry out to God with all your might. Let each one of you leave your misconduct and the violence you have been committing up to now; maybe God will change his mind and calm his anger, and then we won't die. "

Today, we can conclude that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the strongest proof of God's desire to redeem the lives of all human beings (1 John 2: 2, 1 Timothy 2: 4). The salvation granted by God is an unmerited gift produced by his grace through faith, which is a gift of God (Ephesians 2: 8). However, we must understand that the fulfillment of God's will for our lives, which encompasses much more than our personal salvation, requires our willingness to renew our minds and the actions that come from it, (“… change your way of thinking to so that his way of life changes… Romans 12: 2).

Perhaps our challenge for today is individual like Jonah's; change our attitudes to a task entrusted by God to us. Or perhaps the challenge is communal like Nineveh's; collectively redress our misconduct as a people and stop the violence perpetrated against those around us. Whatever our challenge, let us allow the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to begin a new move in our lives; a move that expands the boundaries of our understanding in such a way that we can synchronize our decisions and actions to the absolute sovereignty of God.