I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time (Ecclesiastes 9: 11, New Living Translation, 1996/2015).
Jonah and the Whale
Recently, I was thinking about the story of Jonah and the Whale. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, Jonah was an Old Testament prophet whom God had tasked to deliver a message to the people of Nineveh. Afraid, Jonah disobeyed God and ran away. He boarded a ship sailing opposite the direction God commanded. While on the ship, a huge storm brewed and stirred the vessel. Consequentially, the sailors became afraid, and they cast lots to determine the source of the storm. They identified Jonah as the culprit. Out of fear, the men tossed him into the sea, where a whale swallowed him whole. Jonah’s expulsion from the ship quelled the storm. Meanwhile, Jonah survived in the whale’s belly for three days before the whale expectorated him on the third day. Following his ordeal, he ultimately delivered God’s message to the people of Nineveh.
The moral of Jonah’s story is one of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. Oftentimes, many of the lessons cited from this Biblical account are from Jonah’s time in the whale’s stomach. However, we should also take note of Jonah’s time onboard the ship. Jonah’s mere presence on the ship caused a colossal upheaval. The storm that came into the sailors’ lives was not because of their actions but simply because of Jonah’s presence. Hence, tossing him overboard was imperative to eliminated the unnecessary drama.
Food for Thought?!
I wonder how many of us have suffered or are suffering from repercussions precipitated by other people’s storms. Could it be that we might need to throw some folks over the proverbial board?
Going through life’s many storms is inevitable. The causes are multifactorial and difficult, even impossible, to pinpoint. Some we cause, while others are subject to chance. According to Ecclesiastes 9:11, chance happens to all of us. However, many of us have probably endured unmerited turmoil caused by people who have invited unnecessary calamities into our sphere. Perhaps some of the storms we have faced or are facing weren’t ours to weather.
Perspective
Introspection and discernment are critical developmental and survival skills. Introspection is an inward evaluation. Discernment is the ability to make prudent judgments. As spiritually and emotionally responsible individuals, introspection dictates that we evaluate our actions and assess their contribution to our current circumstances. However, it is equally important that we learn to discern whether our status is inherent or inherited. In other words, are the people in our lives introducing turmoil or causing unnecessary drama for which we are suffering the consequences? If so, we should throw them overboard (proverbially). Failure to do so could cause us to face unmerited storms or even drown in the aftermath.
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Biblical References
New Living Translation. (2015). New Living Translation. https://www.tyndale.com/nlt/ (Original work published 1996)