Our verse for today is Jonah 4:4.
“But the Lord replied, ‘Have you any right to be angry?'”
The city of Nineveh was spared. But Jonah? He was angry. How dare God show mercy to those people? God went to Jonah as he sat beneath a withering vine, and asked a question for all times: “Have you any right to be angry?”
We’ve all been angry and so we know that anger feels justified when it visits us. Anger arrives with proof that presents a compelling case. “Look what they did,” it whispers. “You have every right to be upset.”
But anger is a dangerous houseguest in your heart. Before long, your heart—once a place of kindness—becomes a courtroom where you serve as judge, jury, and executioner.
So what should we do when anger knocks at our heart?
Here are four quick steps to calm an angry heart:
1. Pause and breathe. Count to ten—or a thousand if needed. Give yourself space to think before reacting.
2. Consider the consequences. Ask yourself: What will this anger cost me? Will it hurt someone I care about?
3. Seek God’s wisdom. Don’t just read Scripture to check a box—read it to hear from God, especially when emotions run high.
4. Talk to someone. Find someone trustworthy. Not just anyone, but someone who listens well and helps you see clearly. Someone wise.
In the end, remember Ecclesiastes 7:9. It says:“Anger settles in the lap of fools.”
I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.