“Have you any reason to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4) God asked this question of Jonah after he told him to go to the city of Nineveh and declare that because of their evil ways God would destroy the city within 40 days.  Jonah did what God asked him to do, and the people and king of Nineveh declared a fast and repented of their evil ways.  So, God withheld his destruction.  Jonah became angry because God did not do to Nineveh what he told Jonah he was going to do.   

Like Jonah, our reasons for getting angry may not make any sense or appear petty.  This past week I got angry about having to attend a meeting instead of completing some work that I thought was more important.  I found myself being critical of everything that was happening in the meeting until I realized that the evil one was getting me riled up because I was having to interrupt “my schedule” and what I thought was more important than attending this meeting. 

St. Peter reminds us in his first letter, “Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

Our pride, which is one of the deadliest of sins, wants to distract us from Jesus’ call for us to love and serve others and fulfill God’s will in all that we do.  Anger is often a sure sign of the devil’s presence in our lives tempting us to do something against God’s will. 

James, in his letter says it simply, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.”  We can come near to God through prayer, reading his word, participating in the sacraments, and seeking his presence in all that we do.

When you get angry do you stop to think that it may be the devil trying to deter you from doing God’s will?