Have you ever wondered what the crew in Jonah’s boat thought after they tossed him overboard? “Hey, Frank, did we seriously just kill that dude?” Granted, when you see the weather change from chaos to calm instantly, you know God was in it.
Today, we’re going to approach the story of Jonah from a different angle than most of us are used to.
The story begins like this:
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and “cry out against them” for the wickedness they were bringing before God. Like many of us, Jonah decided to go the opposite of where God wanted. The outcome was not so good. God sent this intense storm (Similar to the one that made my car into a submarine) into the area where Jonah was fleeing on the boat. The account goes as far as to say that the ship was about to break due to the storm’s strength.
After a feeble attempt at praying to their gods, the crew began hurling items off the boat to reduce weight in hopes of staying afloat. The captain went down to Jonah, sleeping through the storm, and told him to pray to his god. Ultimately, the ship’s crew rolled dice to figure out who did wrong to cause the gale, and the results fell on Jonah.
In response, Jonah informed the crew that he was running from God and they should throw him over. Obviously, they refused at first. They tried fighting the storm and rowing to shore, but it worsened. Finally, they made the hard decision and threw Jonah over. The storm immediately ceased, their lively hood (the boat) was saved, and they all went home safe and sound.
Who in our lives do we need to throw off our boat?
Have you ever adopted an expression, mannerism, or action from a friend? Often it comes from how much time we spend with them. I have a specific laugh from a highly respected friend and guide, Dave Conklin, where I don’t laugh but simply say, “That’s funny.” For a short season, we spent countless hours together. As I watched, I began picking up unique behaviors and actions from him. Why do I bring this up? Because you’re the average of the three people you spend time around, and those people are your boat’s crew. Proverbs 13:20 says whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the friend of a fool will suffer harm.
We should spend most of our time with people building us up, drawing us closer to Christ, and encouraging us to take action. Take a moment to think about who is on you’re boat: friends, mentors, church leaders, ministry leaders, family? Now, ask yourself if there is anyone God asks you to let go of. Maybe it’s for a season, maybe it’s forever. These individuals might not even be a “negative” thing in your life, it might just be that they are running from something God has called them to.
Sometimes these people look great. They could be a fantastic friend who keeps dragging you to parties. It could be a girlfriend/boyfriend constantly draining your energy or time. Maybe it’s a family member who has unhealthy boundaries. Whatever it looks like, be prayerful about if and how you should remove these people from your boat.
1 Corinthians 15:33
1 Corinthians 15:13 says bad company corrupts good morals but what about good company? It’s often easier to kick someone off your boat when what they’re doing hurts you, but it’s harder for these men. Sometimes people are going in a direction against God, but they aren’t actually doing something the world views as wrong. This may look like someone stuck in the lie that performance is what God requires, or It might look like someone who stays when God told them to go.
Either way, the wrong people in your life will drain your energy, pull you in different directions, and sink you if you’re not careful. I needed to jump off several boats because I knew I was causing contention.
So, I ask you again: Is anyone in your boat who must get off because they are sinking you?
Don’t be scared like the crew of the ship, God will provide for the people you throw off. But if you want to keep your boat, your other friends, and the life God has for you, you might just need to throw them off. I believe 100 percent that if you surround yourself with the right people, you will grow leaps and bounds. Be prayerful, don’t just assume, communicate, but don’t hesitate when choosing.
Is there anyone you need to kick off your boat?