“An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.” (Proverbs 29:22)
How thin the line is between righteous and unrighteous anger. Jonah thought he “did well” to be angry. God knew better.
Anger may not be sin, but it always places us in a danger zone. It can quickly cause us to cross over the line and be guilty of transgression toward God and man. Every passion of man is corrupted when his life is not controlled by God. His emotions and desires get the best of him. They rule him instead of the other way around.
We live in a day of rage. People believe they can productively channel their anger in order to effect change. They can’t. When men play with fire they get burned. They make a bad situation worse. “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:20)
True agents of change are not driven by their own overwrought spirits. They are led by the Spirit of God in all things. Don’t expect to straighten anyone or anything out by letting your anger burn. The fire of man’s wrath never leaves anything good in its wake; it is always a force for destruction.