Devotion 4: Do You Do Well To Be Angry?

Chris Montville

Have you ever had a passionate opinion about something, only to find out that you were actually wrong the whole time? If you are a sports fan, you might be thinking of a friend who says some ludicrous things about your favorite teams. I encourage you, rather, to think about your friendships, relationships, or marriage. I’m sure we have all had moments where we feel strongly about something and then, later on, have to accept the fact that we were wrong.

In chapter four of the book of Jonah, we see this playing out in real time. From the beginning of the book, Jonah is hesitant to go to Nineveh because he does not want to see the city repent. Nineveh was a political enemy of the nation of Israel, so naturally, Jonah had some pretty passionate opinions about the city and its people. God uses Jonah to lead people to repent from their evil ways anyway. Jonah is not happy about this, and storms off to wait and see how things will play out. He even prays, “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” (Jonah 4:2).

I absolutely love God’s response to this prayer, “And the Lord said, ‘Do you do well to be angry?’” (Jonah 4:4). The NIV translates this, “Is it right for you to be angry?” That is a convicting question! It’s very direct and to the point, and it’s a question we must all ask ourselves any time we feel angry or passionate. Your emotions are not a bad thing; in fact, they’re a key part of what it means to be made in the image of God. However, the Bible tells us that, “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, we must always ask the question, “Are we right to be angry?”

Righteous anger is a real thing; there are times it is valid and correct to be angry. However, there are plenty of times when our anger is not justified, and we are in the wrong. The great news about this is that God never gives up on us. God is interested in teaching us lessons to help us grow, and that’s what He starts doing with Jonah near the end of chapter four.

In verses six through eight, God shows Jonah that He is really the One who is in full control of all things, and every blessing is ultimately through God’s grace. God then asks Jonah some more convicting questions to help Jonah understand why He cares about the people in Nineveh in verses ten through twelve. The book, interestingly, ends without seeing Jonah’s response to this learning experience. I believe the reason for that is because it is now your turn to look at yourself and ask: Am I right to be angry? And how will I respond if I am wrong?