SAINT BRUNO, PRIEST (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 

Jonah thought he had every reason to be angry with the Lord. After a perilous trip to Nineveh to announce God’s message, Jonah couldn’t understand why God had decided not to carry out his threat to destroy the city. And he didn’t hesitate to tell God exactly how he was feeling!

We can probably all think of times when we’ve been angry with God. But unlike Jonah, we may not have been so free to tell him how we were feeling. Maybe it’s because we think it’s a sin to be upset with the Lord. But anger is an emotion, and as such it is neither good nor bad. It’s what we do with it that matters. And the best thing we can do is to talk to the Lord about our feelings. When our anger flares up, we can look at it as we would look at the warning light on the dashboard of a car: maybe God wants to reveal to us what’s going on “under the hood”—what’s behind our feelings.

Whatever is going on inside of us, God is the one who can heal us. As we sit with him, he can help us come face-to-face with what’s upsetting us. Often, it’s a reaction to hurt or pain. Perhaps like Jonah, we feel as if God has betrayed us in some way. Or we might discover that we are disappointed with God or think that he must not really care about us.

But the truth is, God does care. He cares for every hair on our head, every beat of our heart. He especially cares about how we are feeling, and he wants us to be honest and talk to him about it. Only then can he begin to lead us through a process of healing and restoration. That’s what he did for Jonah through the lesson of the gourd plant (Jonah 4:5-11). He will do the same for us, as long as we trust in him and believe that even when we are angry with him, he will never be angry with us.

“Lord, when I am feeling angry with you, give me the courage to express it so that I can receive your healing touch.”

Psalm 86:3-6, 9-10
Luke 11:1-4
Jonah 4:1-11

WORD AMONG US