Who Gave You the Right to Be Angry?

By Colleeno Chippy

 Who Gave You the Right to Be Angry?

By Colleeno Chippy





Introduction 


There is something deeply humbling about the way God speaks to Jonah in the final chapter of his story. It isn’t loud. It isn’t forceful. It’s a question—simple, direct, and searching: “Do you have a right to be angry?”


Jonah is angry over a vine. A plant he didn’t plant. A shelter he didn’t build. A provision he didn’t tend. It sprang up overnight and withered just as quickly. Yet Jonah’s emotions are fully invested in its loss. He is hurt. He is upset. He is consumed by what was temporary.


And God pauses him there.


God reminds Jonah that while he is angry over a vine he did nothing to create, there are 120,000 people in Nineveh—people who cannot discern right from wrong, people with lives, families, futures, and even livestock—whom Jonah was sent to care about. Sent to warn. Sent to guide. Sent to extend compassion toward.


Yet Jonah’s heart is more stirred by the loss of comfort than by the salvation of souls.


That contrast is where the message lives.


The Things We Attach Our Emotions To


As I sat with this passage, I couldn’t help but reflect on how often we do the same thing. We become emotionally invested in things that cost us very little to receive and require even less effort to maintain. We grieve convenience. We mourn familiarity. We react strongly to comfort being disrupted.


And yet, there are weightier matters in our lives—relationships, callings, inner healing, spiritual growth, purpose—that quietly go unattended.


We get angry about delays.

Hurt over silence.

Upset when something doesn’t go our way.


But do we tend to what truly matters?


Comfort vs. Calling


Jonah wasn’t wrong for feeling discomfort—but his emotions were misdirected. God wasn’t rebuking Jonah for feeling; He was questioning Jonah’s priorities.


The vine represented comfort.

Nineveh represented calling.


And Jonah chose to emotionally defend comfort over calling.


That question God asked Jonah echoes into our own lives today:

Who gave you the right to be angry about what you didn’t build, while neglecting what you were entrusted with?


When God Exposes Misplaced Focus


Sometimes God allows things to wither—not to punish us, but to reveal where our hearts have become attached. When something temporary collapses and it devastates us, it’s often a sign that our focus has drifted.


We are not wrong for caring—but we must ask ourselves:


• What am I grieving?

• What am I protecting?

• What am I ignoring?


Jonah’s anger exposed that his compassion had limits. God’s compassion did not.


A Gentle Correction, Not Condemnation


What I love most about this chapter is that God doesn’t shame Jonah. He doesn’t lecture him. He invites him to see.


God’s correction is rooted in perspective. He gently reminds Jonah that life—human life—matters more than comfort, more than shade, more than personal preference.


And perhaps that is the invitation for us as well.


To pause.

To reflect.

To realign.


To stop investing deep emotions in things that were never meant to hold that much weight—and start tending to the things that actually shape lives, including our own.



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Conclusion


Jonah 4 reminds us that not every emotion we feel is meant to be indulged. Some are meant to be examined. God’s question still stands today—not as an accusation, but as an invitation: Do you have a right to be angry?


Or is it time to redirect our hearts toward what truly matters?


Explore More From KeeAsh


Shop Link: https://keeashcreativenetwork.myshopify.com


Books (Amazon Author Page): https://www.amazon.com/author/colleenochippy


Blogspot: https://keeashbusiness.blogspot.com


YouTube: https: www.youtube.com/@ColleenoChippy

Hi, I'm Colleeno Chippy – a Mom, a Writer/Author , entrepreneur, and believer in turning life’s toughest moments into stepping stones for healing and growth. Through this blog, I share powerful stories, motivational insights, and practical tools to help others rise above challenges and live purposefully. Whether it's embracing self-care, navigating grief, finding faith in dark moments, or simply learning to trust your journey.

Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 12, 2025 at 2:43 AM

    Thank you.. this is well needed 🙏🏾

    ReplyDelete

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