The Lord asked
Jonah,
“Is it right for
you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)
It’s a great
question. Was Jonah’s anger righteous?
The following
checklist helps us understand why God asked Jonah the question. Also, you can
develop a checklist for processing your own anger.
Check your view of yourself
Are you willing to
be an instrument of God’s faithful love?
Look deeper than
outward actions. Have you been obedient on the outside while hiding what is in
my heart? (When God instructed Jonah to go to Nineveh the second time, Jonah
went. Although Jonah was obedient to the command of God, his anger revealed the
issues that remained in his heart.)
Check your view of people
God cared about
the people and even the animals of Nineveh (Jonah 4:10)
Do you love all of
the people God loves?
Check your view of God
God sent a storm,
a fish, a plant, a worm and extreme heat – all to accomplish His purpose. God
is sovereign. He reigns over all creation.
Does anger distort
your view of God. When you are angry, you need to ask, “Do I think I know
everything I need to know to make the judgment that I am making?” Are you
willing to accept that God knows more about this situation than you do? Are you
willing to trust God and release your anger to Him?
Check your story
In other words, check your memory.
It seems that Jonah was angry toward God because God was merciful toward
Nineveh. It’s hard to believe that Jonah had so soon forgotten just how
merciful God had been toward him. When Jonah was disobedient and attempted to
run from God’s presence, God spared Jonah’s life. Now that God was merciful
toward Nineveh, Jonah was angry. When you are angry do you tend to forget your
own personal testimony? When you check your story you need to ask, “How has God
treated me?” “How has God extended grace to me?” Take the time to read Jonah’s
prayer in Jonah 2:
Verse 2 – “I
called in my distress and You heard me” Has God heard your prayer in times
past?
Verse 6 – “You
raised my life from the Pit” Has God rescued you?
Verse 9 –
“Salvation is from the Lord” Has God been your source of Salvation?
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