In life, we can become upset, even angry. We look around and see situations we don’t approve of. The more we look, the more emotions rise within us. Anger and frustration creeps in as we ponder how could these things happen. How could these things be? How is this fair? Although we can feel justified in our emotions, the question remains, “what we mad for?”
The Story: Jonah 4
In Jonah 4, Jonah is angry because God didn’t destroy the city of Ninevah after they repented. Jonah rants about how he didn’t want to come to the city because he knew God would forgive them. He wanted to die because the town survived. God asked Jonah if he had a good reason to be angry.
Instead of responding to God, Jonah went outside of Ninevah to watch what would happen to the city. He built a shelter to get some shade. God allowed a plant to grow to protect Jonah from the sun. The presence of the plant pleased Jonah. However, the plant died as quickly as it sprung up. Because God sent a scorching heat that beat down on Jonah, he fainted and wished for death.
God inquired about why he was angry about the loss of the plant. Jonah was confident in his feelings about the matter. God explained that he did nothing to deserve the plant, but he had compassion for it. Furthermore, God asked if He shouldn’t have compassion on a city that was unaware of their sin.
The Lesson
On occasion, we can find ourselves angry. Ephesians 4:26-27 let us know that it’s okay to be angry, but we shouldn’t allow it to fester. The continuation of anger gives an opening to the devil and harms us. The Bible admonishes us to get a handle on our anger.
“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”
“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the hearts of fools.”
Although we may feel justified in our anger, the emotion profits us nothing. Instead, take a moment to pause and breathe. Slow our heart rate. Remove ourselves from the situation from a time. Then ask ourselves, “what we mad for?” If anger reignites at the question, pause and repeat the previous steps. We can’t find a resolution while in this heightened negative state. Therefore, calm is essential before we can broach the question, “what we mad for?” With a cooler head and an open heart, progress is possible.
