This displeased Jonah terribly and he became very angry. He prayed to the Lord and said, “Oh, Lord, this is just what I thought would happen when I was in my own country. This is what I tried to prevent by attempting to escape to Tarshish, because I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, and one who relents concerning threatened judgment. So now, Lord, kill me instead, because I would rather die than live!” The Lord said, “Are you really so very angry?”
Jonah left the city and sat down east of it. He made a shelter for himself there and sat down under it in the shade to see what would happen to the city. The Lord God appointed a little plant and caused it to grow up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to rescue him from his misery. Now Jonah was very delighted about the little plant.
So God sent a worm at dawn the next day, and it attacked the little plant so that it dried up. When the sun began to shine, God sent a hot east wind. So the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. So he despaired of life and said, “I would rather die than live!”
God said to Jonah, “Are you really so very angry about the little plant?” And he said, “I am as angry as I could possibly be!” The Lord said, “You were upset about this little plant, something for which you did not work, nor did you do anything to make it grow. It grew up overnight and died the next day. Should I not be more concerned about Nineveh, this enormous city? There are more than 120,000 people in it who do not know right from wrong, as well as many animals.” Jonah 4
New English Translation
Jonah hated the people of Nineveh so much that he didn’t even want to give them the chance to repent and walk in step with God. He knew that if he sent them the warning from God, and then they turned from their sins, that God would have mercy on them. All Jonah wanted was to see them destroyed.
What about you? Do you care about those you don’t like? Or do you pray nightly that they burn in hell?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging you if you do, but I am recognizing that is not the right thing to do. Sure, I’ve prayed a prayer a time or two that someone would “get what they deserve” with an attitude much like Jonah’s. But, I don’t do that anymore. Why? Because life is bigger than just me.
God cares about everyone, even the jerks of the world. He knows what they’ve done, and He doesn’t like it, but He also doesn’t hate them for it. He cared for the over 120,000 people in Nineveh who lived for evil deeds! So, it’s reasonable to assume that He cares about every not-my-favorite-person in my life, yeah?
How have I learned to be different than Jonah? Instead of wishing (or praying) the worst on that person I don’t like, I pray for them earnestly. Not a “Lord, burn them in hell” prayer, but an honest prayer. I thank God for His love for that person, ask Him to encounter him or her, ask Him to soften their heart toward what He has for them, pray that He will teach that person to recognize His voice, and more. I pray only good things that center around that person getting to know God in a deeper way.
See, a lot of times we make the mistake of wanting a person to suffer as they are when we could pray for God to touch them and teach them to walk in line with Him. Imagine how different the world would be if everyone we didn’t like encountered God in a special way!
So, I challenge you, change the way you pray (and think) about people. Don’t wish the worst on them, wish the best God has for them! Who knows, maybe someone will have a “come to Jesus” moment and never be the same.