Double Dose Of Anger

We don’t have to look very hard to find anger. If you participate in life outside your home you will be exposed to it. Anger seems to have become a thread woven into the tapestry of our society. Anger is generally displayed by yelling, saying harsh words, tight fists, clenched jaw, and pacing. We are all aware of these signs, but may misinterpret them. But they are cues to help us identify anger, not only in others, but in ourselves as well. Sometimes we overlook these cues in our own life, but they are there and we can short circuit our anger when we identify them.

Anger, like all things, can be good or bad. Good anger, also known as righteous anger, is a moral outrage triggered by perceived injustice, cruelty, or a violation of core ethical principles. Unlike selfish or petty annoyance, it is typically directed outward at systemic wrong or harm done to others rather than personal offense. Bad anger is frequent and uncontrollable. Anger is usually a symptom of a deeper issue. Anger can be tied to depression, anxiety, and trauma. If we are displaying bad anger we need to look at what is causing it. The Bible talks about anger. Which leads us to our good friend Jonah. You’ve probably heard the story about Jonah and the whale. But there’s more to it.

Jonah gets angry with God. He is angry for two reasons. First, he doesn’t want to go to Nenevah to preach the message of God because he wanted God to destroy them so they couldn’t attack the Israelites. Then, while pouting in the desert sun, God provides a bush to shade Jonah. But then God takes the bush away, and Jonah gets angry about it. Jonah now is double angry with God. It is at this point that God asks the question, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4). This question isn’t just for Jonah, but for us as well. Do we have a right to be angry? In the grand scheme of life do we really have a right to be angry? We are happy when things are going our way and we are getting what we want. But the minute we don’t get things our way we get angry. Why? We can’t possibly believe that things will always be as we want.

So God asks the question, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Next time we feel ourselves getting angry we need to listen to God’s question to Jonah. Most of our anger is about things that aren't right for us to be angry about. So, we must listen when God whispers in our ear, “Is it right for you to be angry?”