“But Jonah ran away from the Lord… Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.” – Jonah 1:3-5
Whose life hangs in the balance of the decisions you make? This question seems dramatic. You might be thinking, “Pastor, I’m not that important. No one is really relying on me. No one is affected by the decisions I make.” If you have ever thought this, you have misjudged the significance of your own life.
Jonah chapter 1 tells the story of a Hebrew prophet who ran from God. When the Lord told him to go east, he ran west. Instead of going to the city of Nineveh, he got on a ship headed for Tarshish.
Jonah 1:3-5 says, “But Jonah ran away from the Lord… Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.”
Whose life hangs in the balance of the decisions you make? Let me rephrase the question… Who else is in your boat? See, Jonah’s decision to disobey God did not just affect him. The passage says “all the sailors were afraid… and they threw the cargo into the sea.”
These are men and women who are just minding their own business. All of a sudden, their lives are drastically interrupted and threatened by a dangerous storm. They end up having to throw off valuables of their own just to protect their lives. They were greatly affected, and it was all because Jonah disobeyed God.
When you sin against God, or you run from Him, your consequences are not just felt in isolation. Those closest to you will also pay for the sins you commit. I am sure you can think of a time when you paid for a decision someone else made. Are the decisions you are making right now positively or negatively affecting those around you?
Who else is in your boat? What are they gaining or what are they losing as a result of the choices you have made?