“But I with the voice of thanksgiving
    will sacrifice to You;
what I have vowed I will pay.
    Salvation belongs to the Lord!”

– Jonah 2:9

There was once a man God called out to be the messenger of His salvation in a place called Nineveh. This city was a scary one. They were known for their terrible treatment towards others, especially Israel. To say the least, it seemed like a rather hopeless mission for this one guy to proclaim a truth so far from what the people believed and how they desired to live. Long story short, the man, Jonah, decided to run from God’s call and ended up drowning in the sea. Though this was actually just the beginning of one of the greatest revivals ever. Not just for Nineveh, but for the one with the self-centered perspective as well.

When hearing the story of Jonah and the eventual repentance of the cruel city of Nineveh, it is easy to see their salvation as the main attraction. But I have come to realize, perhaps we missed a very important point in this story. It happens not within the city bounds, but in the belly of the fish Jonah was swallowed by.

The verse stated above was the ending of his prayer to God…

Yes, he said thanks. He gave praise. And crazy enough, he gave surrender. Giving thanks to God in terrible situations has been something we often stumble across in scripture. But I think the most unique part of this verse is the second half.

Jonah surrendered two things to God; his obedience, and the result of that obedience.

As I was thinking about my future a few nights ago, this scripture popped out in a way it never has before. Just last week, my friends did a little breakdown of this passage but even then, it wasn’t clear to me that this verse, or shall I say prayer, was so important.

When a person feels called to something like a career field, it is only natural to get excited about the process and endless possibilities in the future. However, over time, as I have experienced this with writing, I realize that all of the excitement also comes with an overload of anxiety. Whether it be the fear of failure, perfectionism, impatience, or a feeling of inadequacy, when you feel called by God to walk into something so specific, it can be so very taunting.

But what if we began saying this prayer over every feeling of anxiety regarding both the process and future of our call?

What if we not only surrendered our current obedience to God, but also the results to come? It can be hard to relentlessly pursue something in faith when all of the doors seem closed and the call feels like more of a misunderstanding.

The process in which God called Jonah to endure was one that seemed completely irrational. And when God told Jonah to bring a message of life to the ruthless Ninevites, the result God desired was different than that of Jonah’s. Jonah believed these people were too terrible and did not deserve salvation. But after running and witnessing the power of God, Jonah recognized our call is not about our comfort. It is about the love, grace, heart, and truth of God. It is bound by nothing for our God knows no limits. And as long as God is the one empowering us through the process, the end result relies in His will alone.

Whether you feel called to do something life-long, temporary, or for just a few days or weeks, I hope Jonah’s prayer of surrender is one you form a habit of.

Long-suffering is fertile ground for frustration. And unfortunately, because we are not the one who holds the future, we are bound to experience it at some point. But my dear friend, you have the opportunity to tend seeds of hope and faith or seeds of impatience and anxiety. Time will allow for either one to grow, the choice is yours.

From someone who tries to surrender only the obedience in the process but not the result in the future…I assure you, the battle ahead is hard, and certainly not worth fighting on your own. God’s plans are good, beautiful, and unstoppable. The only person you are hurting when trying to take control is yourself.