Anger Management
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4)
If you are human, you wrestle with the issue of anger. If you fail to admit it, you live in denial. Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say everyone wrestles with the symptoms of anger management like explosive outbursts, increased vocal volume or fitful facial expressions. Some of us have learned to stuff it deep down and wrestle with passive-aggressive behavior. This oozes out its poisonous bile on others over a period of time. Of course, those gifted in the area of anger expression have learned how to turn the tables on their “offenders” where they will admit that the event was their fault…even if it wasn’t. We are afflicted with the results of our sin nature; it is so easily released like a volcano, not caring who is in our lava flow.
Jonah, the fish-bait prophet, received a second chance from the Lord. However, he had an anger problem. God caused the great fish to vomit him up, to deliver a message of judgment. Even though he was given a true reprieve, he didn’t like it one bit when God did the same for others. His anger was misplaced, misdirected and it was quite inappropriate for any servant of God.
With the great tenderness of a loving parent, the Lord engaged with Jonah to help him process what he was feeling. “Is it right for you to be angry?” It would take some additional illustrations, time and another conversation with the Eternal One, for Jonah to get it. Or did he? The Book of Jonah ends without the answer. Maybe this is because God wants us to sort it out for ourselves.
The next time you get angry at another person or even with God Himself, remember Jonah 4:4, and try to answer it for yourself. You don’t need to count to ten to cool down. You might need a Word from God in that moment. Is it right for you to be angry? If it is, He will let you know. If not, He will give you time to process the real reason for your anger. Jonah had such a difficult time understanding the way of God with others, probably because he didn’t fully appreciate the deliverance he had already experienced. Today, resolve to manage your anger before it spills out and scorches the landscape where you live.
If you are human, you wrestle with the issue of anger. If you fail to admit it, you live in denial. Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t say everyone wrestles with the symptoms of anger management like explosive outbursts, increased vocal volume or fitful facial expressions. Some of us have learned to stuff it deep down and wrestle with passive-aggressive behavior. This oozes out its poisonous bile on others over a period of time. Of course, those gifted in the area of anger expression have learned how to turn the tables on their “offenders” where they will admit that the event was their fault…even if it wasn’t. We are afflicted with the results of our sin nature; it is so easily released like a volcano, not caring who is in our lava flow.
Jonah, the fish-bait prophet, received a second chance from the Lord. However, he had an anger problem. God caused the great fish to vomit him up, to deliver a message of judgment. Even though he was given a true reprieve, he didn’t like it one bit when God did the same for others. His anger was misplaced, misdirected and it was quite inappropriate for any servant of God.
With the great tenderness of a loving parent, the Lord engaged with Jonah to help him process what he was feeling. “Is it right for you to be angry?” It would take some additional illustrations, time and another conversation with the Eternal One, for Jonah to get it. Or did he? The Book of Jonah ends without the answer. Maybe this is because God wants us to sort it out for ourselves.
The next time you get angry at another person or even with God Himself, remember Jonah 4:4, and try to answer it for yourself. You don’t need to count to ten to cool down. You might need a Word from God in that moment. Is it right for you to be angry? If it is, He will let you know. If not, He will give you time to process the real reason for your anger. Jonah had such a difficult time understanding the way of God with others, probably because he didn’t fully appreciate the deliverance he had already experienced. Today, resolve to manage your anger before it spills out and scorches the landscape where you live.
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2 Comments
Very insightful
nThank you for the post
May I always bring my anger issues to God. To have my friends pray for me to work out the problem ?