My world as I knew it was changing rapidly and without my consent! It was getting to me in ways I hadn’t anticipated but couldn’t ignore.

I wanted answers. 

But only got more questions. The “sit with this and think awhile” kind. 

My feelings felt justified and I thought I was handling my anger well. I’m not the explosive type. (Unless it’s that “stupid tractor” I wrote about here)!

But anger can be expressed toward others directly or indirectly (passive/aggressive), toward God or toward myself.

Angry at me? At God?

Sure, if we’re honest, why not? It’s worth thinking about.

Sitting with it awhile made room for God to show me some stuff that I needed to deal with and had been pushing down and ignoring.

Anger is the emotion (think smoke) that reveals those deeper things that are smoldering.

Like with Jonah (Jonah 4:1). 

He’s “very angry”.

At God.

So angry that he even asks God to kill him (v. 3)!

But that anger reveals the deeper stuff that’s smoldering: Resentment (Jonah 4:2).

And, like many who harbor anger, he won’t let the feeling die (v. 8, 9).

Anger’s a funny thing, isn’t it?

Jonah didn’t run from God and end up in that whale’s belly because he feared the Ninevites.

He ran because he knew God was going to use him to be gracious toward people he didn’t like and wanted no part of it (v. 2).

So there he sits pouting, throwing a tizzy fit while God graciously throws him some shade. The whole thing seems so senseless to me.

But that’s what anger does.

And more.

Read Jonah’s story, it’s short and instructive.

Anger causes someone who knows better to move away from God.

Put’s others needlessly at risk.

Causes us to get swallowed up and trapped in a miserable place God prepares to make us stop and think.

And cry out from the “belly of hell”.

On second thought, anger’s not so funny after all. 

So, God asks a question – twice (v. 4, 9). Doest thou well to be angry?

Jonah thought he had a good reason; God had questions.

We’re not told how Jonah’s story ends. It just leaves us with another question (v. 11)!

Did God kill him like he requested? Where did the unresolved anger lead in his life?

But that’s the thing with anger; no one really knows where it will end.

And maybe that’s why we just need to sit with the question, “am I doing well with this anger?”

Whether you express it passively, aggressively (or both), or keep it all in until you can’t…

Why not get some help before it’s too hot to handle and those around you are left with more questions than answers? There’s more to it than what’s happening on the surface.

Here’s my question for you:

If God asked, “doest thou well to be angry”, and you sat with the question long enough to form a thoughtful answer, what unanticipated effect is it having and how does the story end if you ignore it? I’d love to hear your response. Reply and share it. I read every email.

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