Do You Have A Good Reason?

I've been rereading the Book of Jonah over the past week and I seem to be finding much about this prophet, his life, his calling, and his relationship with God that I identify with.

In Jonah 4:4, God asked Jonah a simple question. It's a question that has been reverberating over and over again in my head and heart.
After preaching a simple, yet powerful message of repentance in Nineveh, the Bible says the people responded overwhelmingly. As if in an old time tent meeting revival, the entire city repented of their sins and began to call on God earnestly. But Jonah became angry at this incredible move of the Almighty among a people he deemed most unworthy. You can practically hear the accusatory tone in the words of Jonah the prophet of God: "I knew that Thou art a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and One who relents concerning calamity."

God responded with this question: "Do you have a good reason to be angry?"

Ouch! Is anybody else the least bit amazed, surprised, shocked, or concerned about the level of anger all around us? Everybody, even Christians, seems to be angry about something. And everybody seems content to somehow justify their anger.
Here locally, we've seen and heard the angry rants from both sides of the seemingly widening racial divide during the recent sheriff's election. Politicians spew anger toward one another, and everyone's angry with our politicians. Issues divide us and cultures divide us.
Black. White. Latino. Conservative. Liberal. Republican. Democrat. Rich. Poor. Middle class. Old. Young. Middle-aged. Men are mad at women and women are mad at men. Husbands and wives are divorcing at an alarming rate. Everybody is choosing sides. And everybody seems to have a chip on their shoulder. It just doesn't take much these days to ignite a firestorm in our society. Or in our churches. And sometimes I'm as guilty as anyone.

"Do you have a good reason to be angry?" Coming from anyone else that question itself might cause an angry reaction. But it's the Lord doing the asking. So as I've thought about it, and prayed about it, and looked at my own life I've come to the obvious answer. "No, Lord, I don't have a good reason to be angry." Not one single reason.