WK 4 - MORE OF GOD'S HEART
Reading: Jonah Ch.4
Discussion Questions:
What does this story tell us about who God is? What does it tell us about Jonah’s attitude?
Is it easy to love your enemies or let go of anger towards people who have wronged you?
Jonah knew very well who God was. He knew that God was compassionate and forgiving. He knew that God’s love for his creation was never-ending, and He would forgive the people of Nineveh if they turned from their evil ways. Yet still, Jonah had difficulty letting go of his anger toward these people. He turned his anger toward God instead of adopting a heart like God’s. Sin allows us to cave to feelings of anger very easily and have the attitude of “you get what you deserve” or “you reap what you sow.” However, this way of thinking is very selfish and destructive. It does not build us up or other people. We can do immeasurably more if we let God work in us and adopt a heart like God’s, full of compassion, forgiveness, and love. God’s plan is not for anger or spite but to let all His creation know and tell of His love.
Challenge:
We all have someone who has wronged us (perhaps a family member, friend, peer at school, teammate, teacher, or coworker) or have wronged someone and need to ask for forgiveness. Talk as a family about how you can adopt the heart of God and begin to show more forgiveness/compassion to a specific person this week. As a family, hold each other accountable to this challenge, and know that reconciliation may be an ongoing process but can start today!