Do you do well to be angry? – Part 1

 Jonah 3:10-4:4 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. And he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” And the Lord said, “Do you do well to be angry?”

Pastor Obie finished the Sunday Sermon series through the book of Jonah and stated that the purpose of a prophet was to be a messenger of Almighty God, to bring all people into repentance and a closer relationship with the Lord. But, humans are flawed by sin and our prejudice can get in the way of our purpose, hindering us. It is important for us to search our own hearts daily because it is a reality that we live in a fallen and sinful world. Society and culture, where prejudice exists. We must know the goodness of God’s nature and character, which Jonah accurately identifies as gracious, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and relenting from disaster. Let’s add faithful also to that list. 

God’s character is consistent through all of time, but our fallen character is inconsistent. As redeemed and “born again” Believer’s, Followers of Jesus Christ, and children of God, we are to be transformed into the likeness of the Lord, living and displaying the character our heavenly Father. But, some of our traits are exactly opposite, and sometimes we act like immature little children. Yet, God still loves us despite that. 

A question designed to bring out critical thinking on our part is: “Do we do well to be angry?” The Hebrew word for “anger here is “Charah” and means “to blaze up” of anger, kindled to glow, hot and burning with anger. The emotion of anger can consume our thinking, blinds us and causes us to think irrationally, making us say and do things in the heat of anger that we regret later. All disappointments and anger stem from unmet expectations. So, we need to communicate and set realistic and accurate personal preferences and expectations, while setting margins of grace around them. 

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

There is a type of godly anger that produces “righteousness”, when its aligned with God’s perfect Word, Will and Way. To be a disciple (follower/student) of Jesus Christ, we must desire what God desires and care for what God cares for. God wishes that none perish in Hell, but that everyone would repent of their sin and be saved. Repentance is making a complete U-Turn away from sin in our life and walk towards God. Our Creator Father God uses life situations to reveal something in our character, as an opportunity for a godly teaching moment for character development in us. Often times, it is in the moments of discomfort that the most growth and development in our character happens. God cares more about our character than our comfort. 

Let’s continue Pastor Obie’s message from the book of Jonah in the next post.