Jonah was already running from God at the beginning of his story, but even after God used him to evangelise an entire city he was still out of sorts with God.

The book of Jonah was likely written later in Jonah’s life as he looked back on his ministry. He tells us, “God used me remarkably, but I spent much of my life avoiding the God I was serving.”

This was a man who spoke the Word of God. His prophecies came true. He walked in the presence of God, spoke the Word of God, and was filled with the Spirit of God.

But then God said, “Arise, go to Nineveh” (1:1, 2). It’s hard for us to grasp how shocking this must have been. The Assyrians were known for their brutality, and Nineveh was described by the prophet Nahum as “the bloody city, all full of lies and plunder—no end to the prey!” (3:1).

Jonah was settled and secure in what he was doing for God, and God said, “Go to Nineveh!” We all have dreams for our families, our finances, our futures. Then God breaks into the plan. Suddenly, your life is not what you thought it would be.

When God stepped into Jonah’s plan, his heart was revealed. Jonah’s self-centredness was hidden under the surface of his successful ministry, but it was exposed when God called him to start something new.

Can you think of a time when God exposed self-centred motives in your own heart?