I recently had a conversation with a friend about being mad at God. I think this friend was mad at God for allowing a tragedy in her life, but didn’t want to be.
Some people believe you can’t be angry with God because He’s … well … God. After all, it’s not like you can walk into the Oval Office and yell at President Obama because you don’t like his tax plan. And God is more powerful than the president, so you can’t get mad at Him, right?
I believe it’s perfectly acceptable to get mad at God. He’s a big boy. He can take it. And it’s not as if He’s unaware of all that anger in your heart, anyway. So talk to Him about it (or yell, cry, scream …). Go in a room, remove all the breakables, fill it with pillows, and lock the door. Get it all out. But after you are done, let Him have his say. Listen. He may not say what you want Him to, but you will feel better.
I’ve had some awful things happen in my life. Sometimes if you wait long enough you can see the design in His plan. I’ve mentioned my kids. The eight years of infertility were almost unbearable, but the zany collection of children I have—instead of what I had planned—infinitely, indescribably surpasses any family I could have imagined.
Sometimes you never see a reason, at least this side of heaven. My husband’s mother died a few years after we married. She never got to know my kids. She was a wonderful, godly woman. When she died, she’d left a Bible on the kitchen table for a high school foreign exchange student. A couple weeks later, the Christian bookstore called to say three more had arrived. I went to pick them up and they gave them to us at no charge. They said she was always ordering them and quietly giving them away. We didn’t even know.
Why would He take someone like that from us? Someone who was following Him, doing His will? Someone who could teach my kids about His love and mercy and faithfulness? I was angry for a while. Really angry. It made no sense then, and it still doesn’t.
There are lots of analogies meant to help us understand: a tapestry needs dark colors as well as light; we only see the next step, not the entire road; we are the clay, He is the potter; etc. But in the end, it still hurts, and it can still make us angry. And I maintain that’s perfectly fine with Him.
Sometimes all we know is that He is in control. He is God, and we are not. For me, when all the anger ebbs, all I can do is cling to His unfailing love, cling to His promises that in the end His plans are somehow to “prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Sometimes that’s all we get to know.
Sometimes that’s all we need to know.
Comments 4
You are so right, Carole. One of my best blessings came about when I admitted to God I was angry. As it turns out, I was really more angry at myself. I had quit talking to Him. A friend said to go ahead and tell Him. It’s a much longer story than that, but I did. It is not fun being out of fellowship with God, but it wasn’t He who backed away. And He welcomed me back with open arms. Thank You, God.
Author
Thank you for sharing. You’re right–it’s never fun being out of fellowship with Him, but He will always welcome us back.
I agree. I have been mad at God. Mostly for not doing what I think He should be doing or doing something I feel He shouldve told me before hand. What Ive been through with my dad, is proof. I have asked God “What on earth are you doing?” and he always tells me to trust him, he knows what he is doing. If He can keep the universe turing, the earth spinning , take care of the birds and tress and fish..then he can handle whatever it is in my life right now.God has put up with my tears, my anger, frustration and everything in between. He loves me enough to listen, and let me cry out to Him. Just read the Psalms, David was real with God, every emotion known to man he expressed to God, but always came back to Gods faithfulness and his love:-)
Author
I had years when I read nothing but Psalms. David knew how to talk to God. He’s a fantastic example.
I am praying for your dad.