What do you worry about? It’s incredible the amount of anger and frustration we can demonstrate for things that are here today and gone tomorrow. It’s the person who becomes upset because his television is not working. It’s the woman who’s upset because her manicurist is doing a lousy job. It’s the child who’s upset because his electronic tablet is not working. It’s the person who goes to a restaurant to eat and is upset because he or she got bad service. Again, it’s incredible the amount of emotion we demonstrate for things that are here today and gone tomorrow.

God called Jonah to go and to preach to the people of Nineveh but Jonah decided to run from Him. Eventually God brought him back and gave him a second chance, which he begrudgingly accepted. He walks into the city and in a singe day everyone all the way up to the king repented and turned to God. You would think that Jonah would be happy about his evangelistic success but quite the contrary, he was very upset that God would forgive them. So he went outside of the city and sat down to see what would happen.

Jonah 4: 5-11 NIV

5Jonah had gone out and sat down at a place east of the city. There he made himself a shelter, sat in its shade and waited to see what would happen to the city. 6Then the Lord God provided a leafy plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade for his head to ease his discomfort, and Jonah was very happy about the plant. 7But at dawn the next day God provided a worm, which chewed the plant so that it withered. 8When the sun rose, God provided a scorching east wind, and the sun blazed on Jonah’s head so that he grew faint. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live.” 9But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” “It is,” he said. “And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.” 10But the Lord said, “You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. 11And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”

Jonah is sitting outside of Nineveh mad at God for saving the people of the city. While Jonah was sitting there pouting, God made some kind of plant grow over Jonah to shade him from the sun. This made Jonah very happy. But the next day God took away the plant that shaded Jonah and this made Jonah very angry. What is so fascinating about this story is that Jonah became so upset about something that was temporary. What’s more fascinating is that we often act the same way. We become more upset because someone crashes into our car, we didn’t get the job, or we couldn’t close the sale. We’re more concerned for temporary things than for the people around us who don’t know the Lord.

God tells Jonah, you’re so compassionate about a plant that you didn’t even plant, a plant that is temporary. Jonah do you know what makes me upset? Do you know what I worry about? I’m worried about the people of Nineveh; I’m worried about the hundred and twenty thousand innocent kids. Jonah, you’re worried about a what? You’re so upset that you want to die? You’re worried about the plant but you don’t care about the people?

What are you worried about? Is it your reputation? Your agenda? Your car? Your House? God worries about this generation; He’s worried about the rich and poor, Hispanics and non-Hispanics, He’s worried about republicans and democrats, conservatives and liberals, adults and children. He’s worried about your co-worker, your neighbor, your family members, the person who crashed into your car and the waiter who gave you bad service. He’s worried about everyone and anyone who does not have a relationship with Him. What are you worried about?

It’s simple, God’s priority are the people who don’t not know Him.

Heavenly Father forgive me for all the times I’ve worried and gotten angry about things that have no eternal value. Help me to focus on what really has value, all the people who still do not know you, that is my only concern in life, because everything else is temporary.