But God said to Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry for the plant?” And he said, “Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die.”  (Jonah 4:9 ESV)

Anger and bitterness will lead to a spirit of homicide or suicide.

Anger and bitterness take two paths; the former will lead to the destruction of others, the latter will steer you to destroy yourself. The damage may be of a spiritual, emotional, or even physical nature. 

We live in an outraged world. Due to the hurt people feel, they vacillate between lashing out at others or turning the anger inward. The result is the same no matter which direction it takes—destruction.

Anger and bitterness cry for attention. They pine for payback for the pain that they feel.

They want the people that have hurt them to experience the wounding they received. The more they act upon their feelings, the more they feel the need for retribution, and the angrier they get. 

Intuitively, they know that they are wrong, maybe not in the original hurtful action, but their response to it. People turn the anger inward and become sullen and depressed—in a downward spiral spiritually and emotionally.

Most never progress to homicide or suicide, but many, even Christians, live at some level on this progression.

The only solution is forgiving others and ourselves, for is no other way out. Time does not heal all wounds. Jesus set the pattern when he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 ESV).

If you are unwilling to give up your hurts and the resulting anger and bitterness, you will live your life in a spirit of death—whether directed outward or inward.

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]