The Anatomy of a Mistake

Main Point: At times it can feel like we will never overcome our mistakes, but God’s grace is greater.

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. —Jonah 1:1-3

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. —Psalm 139:7-8

When we go away from God and what he’s commanded, it is always the beginning of a mistake.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. —Jonah 1:4

When we are going off course, God will do what it takes to get our attention.

All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.” —Jonah 1:5-6

Frequently, the problems we cause with our mistakes will be visible to the people around us before they are visible to us.

Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” —Jonah 1:7-8

He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” —Jonah 1:9

We can have enough wisdom to know who God really is but not enough wisdom to obey him.

This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” —Jonah 1:10-12

“Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”

When we begin to fully realize the impact of our mistakes, guilt will surface.

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him. —Jonah 1:13-16

At a certain point, the people around you have to let you face the consequences of your choices.

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. —Jonah 1:17

Even when we are rebellious and resistant to God, he still sees us, and he provides for us.

Takeaway: Even when our own bad choices take us off course, God’s grace and plan for us endure.

Discussion Questions

1. Have you ever found yourself resisting or avoiding something you knew that God was calling you to do? What were the consequences?
2. How do you interpret the sailors’ reactions to the storm and their discovery of Jonah as the cause? Have you ever been in a situation where someone else’s mistake directly affected you?
3. Consider the parallels between Jonah’s story and your own life. Are there moments when you felt God’s relentless pursuit of you despite your disobedience or mistakes?

Table Discussion Question: Reflect on the idea that even in our rebellion and resistance, God still sees us and provides for us. How does this concept challenge or affirm your understanding of God’s character?