when god and i don’t see eye to ey

“But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.” — Jonah 1:3

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” — James 4:6

When I was younger, I was a pretty obedient child. I got in trouble, but not for disobedience. There was one time, though, when I openly defied an authority figure. It was career day, and a professor came to talk to our class. He asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” With boldness, I answered, “A hip-hop musician!” That’s when he responded with words that my heart rejected—like entering the wrong password on your phone. He said, “That music won’t be around long, so you better pick another career.” I disagreed. I disagreed so much that my rejection didn’t stay inside but made its way out of my mouth with a loud, “You don’t know what you’re talking about, old man!” Add some country twang and an eighth-grade boy’s voice to fully get the picture. I came to learn that disagreements are a part of life—especially in this beautiful world filled with all the different people God has blessed us with. But where disagreements get difficult is when we disagree with God.

Have you ever disagreed with God? Have you ever read something in the bible and thought to yourself God I don't like what you just said? And if we’re honest, that’s where many of our disagreements with God begin.

God told Jonah to go to Nineveh—a brutal, wicked city known for violence and idolatry. Jonah didn’t just disagree; he was offended. I believe deep down, Jonah’s disagreement with God was fueled by three things that often trip us up too: people, pleasure, and pride.

People- 

Jonah didn’t want to be seen as the prophet who helped his nation’s enemies. He cared more about what others thought of him than what God thought of him. How often do we hesitate to obey because of what people might say or how we might look? In the face of his peers Amos and Nahum Jonah wanted to be seem as the faithful prophet which his name alludes to. (Proverbs 29:25)  The second reason we disagree with God is our pleasures.

Pleasure — Nineveh was dangerous and unappealing. Nothing about going there produced excitement in anyone. But sometimes, God’s will doesn’t match our comfort. The truth is, following Jesus will often call us away from convenience and into courage. (Matthew 16:24).

Lastly, the bulk of our disagreements with God come down to one of the seven deadly sins. Pride!

Pride — Jonah thought he knew better than God. He believed Israel deserved mercy, not Nineveh. Pride always blinds us to the bigger picture of God’s grace. God's character was never just meant for my benefit. Doesn’t just save our kind of people—He saves all kinds of people. (Romans 10:12)

Behind every disagreement with God is the quiet belief that I’m right, and You’re wrong.

But grace begins where pride ends.

When we humble ourselves before God—when we choose obedience over opinion—He reshapes our heart. The same God who sent Jonah to Nineveh is the same God who sends us into places and moments we’d rather avoid, not to punish us, but to transform us.

Practical Step:

Ask God this simple question in prayer today:

“Lord, is there a place in my life where people, pleasure, or pride are keeping me from obeying You?”

Write down what He reveals. Then take one concrete step to surrender it—whether that means having a hard conversation, letting go of a comfort, or admitting you don’t know best.

Remember: disagreement with God doesn’t have to end in distance. It can become the doorway to deeper dependence.