Is it right for you to be angry?

Jonah 4:1-4

Recap: Why is Jonah angry?

What are a few things that tend to make you angry?

1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________

When things happen, do you ever get angry at God?

Is it ok to be angry at God? (This is a question that raises lots of different opinions. People can have lots of opinions but that doesn’t help us out. We want to know what the Bible says about it. Here is a list of some different verses that talk about anger. Look them up and use them to come up with an answer to this last question… Is it ok to be angry at God?)

James 1:19-20

Col. 3:8

James 4:1-2

Eph. 4:26-31

Ps. 34:8

Ecc. 7:9

Ex. 34:6-7

Ps. 40:1-3

Phil. 4:6-7

1 Pet. 5:7

Ps. 4:4

Job 38-42

How should we deal with our anger? (Whether it’s a sin or not, there are times you get angry with God. Come up with a few ideas of what you can do the next time you are angry with God.)

1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________

So why is Jonah angry? Really it boils down to Jonah is upset because God does something he doesn't like. God shows mercy to people Jonah doesn't think they should get it. Jonah wants God to destroy the Ninevites. In fact, this is the very reason Jonah says he ran initially--"Didn't I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you could cancel your plans for destroying these people. " (Jonah 4:2).

The easiest question on this paper (aka the different font which was a worksheet I gave the teens) to answer is definitely the "what makes you angry?" question. We can all easily come up with more answers than spaces provided. Bad drivers. Long lines. Annoying siblings/parents/in-laws. Stubbed toes. Losing. Humidity. Politics. Racism. Apathy. Cancer. Death. The list is endless. But is God ever on your list?

I'm willing to bet money that at some point in your life, and probably more than once, you've been angry at God. You didn't make the team. You didn't get the promotion you deserved. Your parents get divorced. You experienced a death of a loved one. You feel like He's abandoned you. For a plethora of reasons, we may feel angry at God. But is it ok?

Just because all of us do something, it doesn't make it right. That's a no-brainer. If you do a Google(TM) search of "Is it ok to be angry at God," you'll get thousands of sites with varying opinions. Not many with scriptural support. So did you look up those verses? What do you think?

My thoughts? Oh thanks for asking...

Things happen that make us happy or sad or angry. I don't think something happening and a certain emotion arising is sinful. What matters is what you do with that emotion. Do you start yelling and screaming at God and tell Him about Himself? Do you trust Him that He can take care of the situation no matter what?

For some scriptural support, Ephesians 4:26 talks about not sinning in your anger, which means we can be angry and not sin.

In the Psalms, David portrays a wide range of emotions, including anger. In Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus was angry and we know He didn't sin. Anger itself is not sinful. The issue is what you do with that anger.

The next time you get angry, remember there are good and bad ways to handle it. Ask God now to prepare you to respond to anger without sinning. When you do get angry, don't take it out on God. Tell Him how you feel, He wants to listen. He can handle your emotions and use the situation to grow you.