Our question comes from Jonah 4:9.
“But God said to Jonah, ‘Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?'”
Jonah was angry—angry that a plant died. Not angry that a city might perish. Not angry that people had lost their way. He was mad about losing his personal shade.
That’s the heart of this question. It’s not really about the vine. It’s about what matters to you. What makes you angry reveals what you value most. It reveals your heart.
For Jonah, comfort had become more important than compassion. The loss of his personal ease stirred him more than the salvation of 120,000 souls. God wasn’t scolding Jonah—He was shining a light on his misplaced priorities.
Amos 6 paints a similar picture. People lounged on ivory beds, sang songs, and drank wine, but didn’t grieve over the plight of the hungry and lost. Their hearts had grown cold while their comforts grew rich.
So God asks us the same question: What makes you angry? Is it inconvenience or injustice? Personal discomfort or someone else’s suffering?
Maybe it’s time to trade our anger for empathy. To care more about what God cares about.
Ask Him to help you adjust your priorities. To stir your heart, not just when your comfort is lost, but when compassion for others is needed.
I’m Lonnie Davis, and these are thoughts worth thinking.