May 26, 2024 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART

By: Pastor Imman Garcera

The Jonah Syndrome

A lot of us might not find Jonah relatable; a prophet from the Old Testament who gets swallowed by a really big fish. But I think he's more relatable than we think. First off, although he's called to be a prophet of the Lord, he tries to run from his calling and from the Lord even with the knowledge that the Lord is omnipresent (able to be anywhere and everywhere at once), which is kind of silly:

"But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord."

And thus we get the premise of the Book of Jonah. This begins Jonah's hardships (orchestrated by God) until he commits to the call God places upon his life to go to Nineveh. With that said, let's reflect for a moment. Are we facing hardships in our life right now? Are we turning away from what God is calling us to do? Are we being silly and trying to flee from the presence of the Lord in any way? If you answered yes to any two of these questions, you might be prone to or are already experiencing the "Jonah Syndrome".

Good news though! All it takes is obedience to alleviate the symptoms, even if our attitude isn't in the right place (like Jonah). I believe everyone will experience the Jonah Syndrome at least once in their lives, my hope and prayer is that we will learn our lesson quicker each time and surrender in obedience to the Lord when it's all said and done.

To God be the glory!