God directly asked the Prophet Jonah (twice in fact) … “Doest thou well to be angry?”

See Jonah 4:4 and again Jonah 4:9.

Now undoubtedly, there are times when anger is NOT a sin. In fact, occasionally I submit anger can be righteous!

Jesus got angry when healing a man with a withered (paralyzed) hand! He “looked round about on them (his skeptical enemies) with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts.” Mark 3:5 (I will guarantee you there’s no sin in that kind of anger, Jesus being spotless!)

Paul even wrote … “Be ye angry, and sin not.” Ephesians 4:26

And how about this little Nugget? “God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11

But, having said that … most of the time our anger is not a good thing!

“Doest thou well to be angry?”

Impatience, a rash spirit, a loose tongue, maybe even a hard heart … all contribute to our sinful anger!

Proverbs 14:17 … “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly.”

Proverbs 21:19 … “It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.”

Proverbs 22:24 … “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go.”

Proverbs 29:22 … “An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.”

Proverbs 12:16 … “A fool’s wrath is presently known.”

Proverbs 14:29 … “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”

Proverbs 19:19 … “A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment: for if thou deliver him, yet thou must do it again.”

Proverbs 27:3 … “A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.”

Many more Bible instances/warnings could be cited, of course.

But finally just this … the “fruit of the Spirit” … does NOT include anger! That emotion is rather a … “work of the flesh!”

Doest thou well to be angry?

Probably not!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

(Jonah sure didn’t!)

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