It strikes me that, often times, I’m a lot like Jonah. I don’t mean that I actively seek to foil the revealed plan of God. Rather, I frequently behave as though future outcomes depend solely on my actions—as though the success or failure of a given endeavor rests completely on me. I wonder how much time and energy I have wasted pursuing certain goals—whether in my personal life or in my ministry—because I have failed to bring my pursuits before the Lord.