I'm Not Hurting Anyone But Myself!

There are certain Bible stories we all learn as children if we are raised in church. They are stories of God's care for His people and stories to help build faith but they are so much more than mere stories. There are life lessons to be learned in these real-life accounts even for us as adults. For instance, how many times have we heard someone say, why do you care what I do? I'm not hurting anyone but myself. It's my life!

Jonah was a prophet and God chose to use him to restore the people of Nineveh. God specifically told Jonah to go cry out against that city because of their wickedness. Jonah didn't want to go so he took the first boat out! He had to know that God would not let him go that easily, but then again how many times do we try to run from God, too? During that boat trip, there came a bad storm where the people on the boat feared for their lives. Even as heathens, they knew this was an act of God and they determined it was because of Jonah. Chapter 1:10-16 says, "Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, 'Why have you done this?' For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. Then they said to him, 'What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?' -- for the sea was growing more tempestuous. And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me.' Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, 'We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You.' So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows."

Innocent lives were in jeopardy because of one man's rebellion and we haven't even talked about the people of Nineveh yet! As much as we would like to believe that our sin does not affect others, we cannot deny that it does. God has made it where we depend on and need one another. He has chosen to use me and you to share His gospel with others so they may hear and know that He is God! Also, because we were created to be relational people, we can never say, what I do doesn't matter to anyone because we all have people who love us and care about us and depend on us.