Like Jonah, we can miss the real reason for our assignment to speak the truth in love to a culture in turmoil. Our undisciplined emotion can cause us to mirror Jonah’s response to the call of God and run in the opposite direction. 

God’s message, no matter how challenging it may sound, will always reveal a deeper level of reconciliation and redemption than our angry and undiscerning eyes can see. When Jonah got mad at God for redeeming the city of Nineveh, the Lord said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” and “Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” 

God sees the potential of greatness for a city, even when it is manifesting a lack of greatness. The Lord wants to open our eyes to see the greater potential of the cities within our nation, especially those currently experiencing violence, racism, and destruction. We are assigned by God to call out the greatness of a city and invite its people into the destiny God has planned for its citizens. Unrighteous anger, like the anger of Jonah, is an emotional response that will never produce the outcomes of greatness God has planned for a city or a nation.